Soulmates
by JenLe
Summary: Though unsuspected and unwanted, Jacob Black imprints. Will he learn to accept his young imprint or will his bruised heart deny her. Dark Jacob. Far from a fairytale...
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Reposting chapters. No, I will never give up on my stories. Life handed me a few obstacles these past few months. I've been down and I'm trying to get up again. Thanks for being patient.

Chapter One

_Eight months ago…_

_Jacob's POV_

"Shit!" I hissed and violently smashed my fist down on the counter. I had somehow managed to slice the palm of my hand open with a razor-sharp knife hidden under the soapy water of the sink. I turned the hot water handle and rinsed the wound out. It was already healing under the hot steam. I didn't burn easily so I wasn't in pain. The only pain I felt was when the blade first penetrated my skin and even that stinging didn't last long. Nothing could really hurt me. I never let anything or anyone cause me to show any emotions. Not anymore. I was like a rock. I was that way with everybody that came into my life now. Only my father, my sisters, and my pack and their mates knew who I really was. I had become mean and bitter and fucked up in the head quite frankly. And I didn't give a shit if I hurt anyone.

The women didn't seem to mind. They didn't care if I fucked them and ignored them afterwards. They would still be trying to get my attention. Everyone wanted a piece of me and no one would ever get it. No one. I would never let my heart be broken by another female again.

Here, in La Push, I've lived only twenty-four years. Here, with my father that I've been taking care of nearly all my life. Here, with my pack that I will soon lead with all of my soul. Here, with my family and friends, is the only place I will ever be and I accept it with full responsibility. My duties as a chief and a son come before all. That is all I have time for.

I looked at my hand, it was nearly healed in all of five minutes. I turned the water off, grabbed a dish towel and wrapped it around my right hand. Abandoning the dishes I was attempting to clean, I walked out to the front porch and sniffed the air. It smelt like rain tonight. Heavy rain that no one wanted to be caught in. I didn't worry about my pack, though. I knew whoever was on patrol duty tonight would be able to smell the change in weather. Still, we were strong and built for outdoors when we were in our other forms. Bad weather wouldn't stop us from protecting our tribe and ensuring safety of our children, women, and elders.

I placed my hands on my bare hips as I looked up at the sky and saw storm clouds rolling in. Something was pulling me and I didn't know what it was or where it wanted me to go. I felt a strong urge to follow my instincts which were begging me to move, to go out into the night. Go where? I didn't know. The wolf inside of me purred and I longingly looked up at the sky again. Gray clouds slowly took hold of the blue sky and it was suddenly dark. I closed my eyes and listened to my wolf.

Rain was coming down so hard that any human would be blinded to sites around them. The smart ones took shelter. Right now, I was among them. Somehow, something inside of me led me to this little diner just outside of Seattle. The tacky, neon lights on the outside of the building read, "Le Maison Blue". Never took French in school, but at least I knew what blue meant. The little diner's walls were painted this dark, almost midnight-blue shade and in this stormy weather, it blended in perfectly with the outside.

Only a few people were eating out tonight. Most of the tables were free and I could pick where I wanted to sit. I chose a seat in the very back—away from human eyes. For the weak who noticed me tonight, would surely be afraid. My face was a dark mask, only focusing on one thing. That _one thing_ that I had no idea what it was. I put my hood over my head, not from being cold. I was never cold. I needed to shield myself because I felt my heart racing and my skin vibrating. Normally, this would only happen when I was about to phase into wolf form, but tonight—tonight it was something else. Tonight was far from normality. I looked human to the human eye, but my wolf was in control. My left hand started shaking violently and I grabbed hold of the wrapped up utensils on the table.

I had not even realized that someone was standing over me. Didn't matter. My eyes were focused on the building across the street from where I sat. To my left, through the window, through the rain that no one else could see through, I kept watch on the building across the street from where I sat.

"Ahem…" the person to my other side cleared his throat, surely trying to get my attention. It only pissed me off. Still, I did not budge. I kept watch on the building across the street from where I sat.

My eyes could make out the dingy white sign on the building easily. _The Sophia Way, Bellevue, Washington. _I didn't know what that meant or what kind of business it was. I didn't care really. It was important enough, though, because I had not stopped staring at the front entrance since I sat down fifteen minutes ago.

"Sir, you have to order or you can't sit here," the man said.

I heard him let out a sigh of frustration and begin drumming his fingers impatiently on the table. I could hear him perfectly fine and perhaps the saner Jacob inside of me would have responded, but tonight…tonight, I only focused on the building across the street from where I sat.

"Dude, I ain't gonna play this freaking game with you all night," the waiter said to me harshly, clearly getting fed up.

My hands balled up into fists and I felt something in my left hand snap. A city bus had just shown up and blocked my view of the building entrance. _Fucking bus stops._

"Hey, Buddy!" The angry waiter shouted.

I felt a hand on my right shoulder and I froze. For the first time since I sat down, I turned my head from the window. My heart was racing frantically now and I could hear it pounding through my ears. My breathing quickened and my whole body was shaking now. I looked down at my left hand, only shattered remains of the metal utensils remained. I tried taking a deep breath, but all that came out was a growl. Not a human growl. My eyes focused on the waiter, silently warning to remove his hand from off of me. He took the hint as soon as he saw my eyes. His eyes grew big and he began taking slow steps away from the table at which I sat. Once he figured he was safe enough, he turned his back on me and immediately bustled his way into the kitchen.

Then, slowly, I looked back towards the bus that had blocked my view. I heard the driver put his bus into gear and his foot hit the pedal. The bus slowly moved forward in the storm ahead and I felt something inside of me, my heart perhaps, leap with excitement. The animal purred again and I almost…_almost_ was satisfied.

Just as the bus moved away, I saw a woman making her way up the stairs of the building. She had a black, dingy umbrella over her head, but the wind was so strong that it wasn't preventing the rain from beating against her. She had on a small jacket over her and though I could not really tell how cold it was outside, I knew that she had to be freezing. All the other people in this diner were bundled up several layers of clothing tonight. This woman was so tiny-looking she had to be uncomfortable.

With her back turned to me, I saw her pulling on the door handle of the building unsuccessfully. I briefly wondered why she was pulling at the door so desperately when she should have realized by now that the doors were locked.

I saw her small fist bang on the door and an even smaller, frail voice call out, "Please, is anyone in there?"

_An angel._

That is what I first thought when I heard her voice for some reason. Her voice was like a million harps in heaven playing only a tune that I could hear.

My body longed to be near her for some reason. My soul was pulling me towards this unknown being. Just as I was about to stand, I heard someone pull at the door on the other side of the unknown woman. A round, older woman with gray eyes lined with thick dark eyeliner opened the door half-way and hid partially behind it. I could see a gun belt draped around her waist.

"We're closed dear. Sign-up for a bed ends at seven every night," the guard told my woman in a monotone voice.

"Oh no," the young woman cried out and looked at her wrist watch. "Oh gosh, I guess I th-thought you guys st-stayed open twenty-four seven like the other shelters I've been to."

The woman sounded like a scared child. Her words were rushed and she seemed like she was holding back tears as she looked back at the guard.

"You'll have to come back in the morning. We open up at seven A.M. sharp," the guard said unemotionally and began to close the door.

"N-no, wait, please! I have nowhere else to go and it's fr-freezing out. Please, surely there's something you can do! Please, I'm b-begging," the woman pleaded with the guard, now crying softly.

The guard sighed and rolled her eyes.

"Sorry, miss. Rules are rules," and then shut the door in the young woman's face.

I growled again.

I noticed the young woman still had not moved from the door as if somehow hoping someone would still let her in.

Was she homeless?

_Go, Jacob. Go to her._

I felt my legs push me up from the booth and I kept my eyes on the back of the woman. Somehow, she must have realized that no one was going to let her in and turned with her umbrella over her head and hood pulled up covering her hair and face. She was looking down at her feet as she slowly made her way down the steps.

I heard her mumbling to herself.

"What am I going to do now?" She whimpered and sniffled, obviously feeling sorry for herself as she made her way into the rain. I turned and headed towards the diner's entrance. I couldn't see her, but I could hear her. I could hear her breathing and her heart pumping. I could _feel _her despair and uncomfort as she thought about what to do next. What surprised me the most was that I could feel how cold she felt at this moment. I heard her steps coming closer to where I stood. I immediately hid behind a dumpster a few feet away from the entrance. There was no way she could see me peeking out at her from behind the dumpster through the heavy downpour. The storm seemed to be getting worse. I still could not see her face clearly as she stood only a few feet away from me now. I had to use all of my strength not to touch her. The hold she had over me was just too strong and it almost hurt to be this close to her, yet not close enough. I began to fear what that might mean.

_No, no, no…_is what I told myself as I saw the woman stop in front the entrance of the diner. She was about to open the door, but stopped for a few moments, just staring inside. I could hear her heart thumping. I needed to get closer.

_No, No, No…_ I was beginning to deny what I knew was inevitable. I began remembering thoughts from my brothers in the pack who had gone through this very phase…and I was pissed as hell.

I noticed the woman dig into her wet jean pockets and pull out a few coins. I noticed how she cursed under her breath and I felt it as her hope drained from her soul.

"Dammit," she muttered sadly and put the loose change into her back pocket.

She stilled for a moment, seemingly not sure where to go. Lightening struck in the distance, lighting the sky for a few seconds. I heard how the woman gasped and hurriedly make her way down the sidewalk. She passed me, never looking in my direction.

I watched her back as she walked quickly away. I watch her walk away from me until I knew that she was far enough ahead and would not see me following behind her. The streets were quiet tonight. Only every ten or fifteen minutes or so I would see a car passing by. The sidewalks were flooded from the rain and I was curious to know where this young woman was headed.

After about ten minutes, the woman took a sharp right and disappeared from view. I stopped for a few moments afterwards, listening for sounds and footsteps. I heard nothing. I kept walking, following her scent which I had memorized now…like apples and cinnamon. I knew I'd be able to pick her scent from anyone else's in a crowd. It was a perfect blend to my senses and I wasn't sure if I loved that or hated it.

I peered around the corner before turning into the dark alleyway that she had gone. I smelled her close by, but couldn't see her. I felt her trembling with fear in the dark. There were large boxes and crates on either side of the concrete walls. I couldn't see her yet, but I knew where she was. The only dry place was under a side door where there was covering overhead. It was very dark here and I was surprised she could even see it.

I knew she wouldn't be able to hear me as I slowly made my way to her.

_Mine to claim._

I heard the beast inside of me talking now as I grew nearer.

_NO! _I yelled inwardly to myself. I didn't want this. I never wanted this…

_Mine to claim…_it said again.

I knew that no matter how hard I tried to back away and leave her, it would never work and I would never be satisfied until she was with me. I fucking hated it. This was the only time I never wanted to be a wolf. This part of our lives was unfair and unjust and I would never accept it.

I saw her crouched down under the doorway. Her broken umbrella at her side and her face hidden inside of her wet hands. Dark and wet tangled hair covered her face.

_Take her._

_Mine._

I growled at the thoughts in my head in defiance as I looked down over the woman. I was hovering over her now. Slowly, fearfully…she began to look up.

I felt the fear inside of her…the terror of being hurt somehow by this stranger before her. A small part of me felt sorry for the woman. She had no idea what was about to happen. I was so close to closing my eyes and turning away from the thoughts my soul, my whole being was telling me to do. I clenched my jaw and balled up my fists and then her eyes…her dark brown eyes…found mine.

And I stopped breathing. I felt her soul connect to my body in the most magical and beautiful way. I felt alive for the first time in years.

The scared, dark eyes looked back at me with wonderment. She was trembling, but I could see in her eyes that she knew to trust whatever what was happening. Then, I started to get angry again. This poor woman had no choice really. She had no idea what kind of world we lived in. It wasn't for the faint of heart. This small, innocent woman should not be exposed to this life.

But now she had no choice after what I had just done. I fought against the new thoughts in my head.

_Seal the bond. Seal the bond._

_NO!_

I felt myself pulling forward and kneeling before the girl.

"Please don't…" she whimpered, but still didn't move. Her small body shaking violently with fear at what would happen next.

I cradled the back of her neck in both hands and slowly inched my face towards the spot between her neck and shoulder blade.

I tried to pull away, but the wolf was too satiated.

When my teeth made contact with her flesh, I felt her tiny body jolt with pain. Still, I pressed my teeth into her and felt her flesh break. Her warm blood on my tongue made my wolf purr even louder. I heard the woman hold back a scream that was trying to break through.

Then, it was over. I had done the very thing that I never wanted to do. I had imprinted on someone who was not _her._

I looked at the woman again, finally taking in her face. An extremely younger face than I thought. She wasn't beautiful, but she was very pretty in a plain way. She had a small, distinct freckle in the corner of her eye. Her lips were pouty and soft-looking and her skin was clear and pale.

My imprint.

And I knew that I would hate her forever.

_The woman's POV_

My body was suddenly calm and though I knew something not of this world happened to me, I couldn't think to be afraid. The spot where he bit me was very warm and my body soon stopped trembling. I was more sleepy than anything else.

Afterwards, the man towered above me again and stared at me with the darkest, threatening eyes. Or maybe I was too sleepy to really see correctly. And it was dark out, after all. Strangely, I felt a pull towards this stranger and I knew that I wanted to follow him wherever he were to go. It confused me, but I couldn't even open my mouth to ask questions. I didn't know his name or where he was from and how he found me. I let a complete stranger put his teeth inside of me without protest. Why did he bite me, anyway? It was so strange, but yet so natural at the same time.

Without saying a word to me, he picked me up in his huge harms effortlessly and I felt like I was miles above the ground. I felt my heart racing as I anxiously awaited where he was taking me. I wanted to speak to him and tell him that I could walk, but I was truly just so comfortable inside his warm grasp. I could have easily fallen asleep if I wasn't still aware that something greater than myself just happened between us.

Minutes later, despite myself, I did end up falling asleep. When I awoke, I started to gather my senses and realized that the rain had stopped and all was quiet. I hadn't realized how far we had gotten. We weren't downtown anymore. I lifted my head to look into his eyes again. But all I saw was his jaw line and his neck. He was focused ahead.

Up ahead, a little red house. Before I knew it, the cool night air on my skin was replaced by the warm air inside the little red house. I squinted my eyes from the light. Another door opened in the tiny house and I was being laid down on a tiny bed. I finally was able to get a good luck at the man who bit me once he reached over me and flicked on the lamp on the end table.

He was…so beautiful. My breath caught in my throat as I stared at him and I was embarrassed for looking at him this way. His brown, deep set eyes were sweeter than chocolate and he seemed tired, but still handsome. I had never seen any man as good-looking as him. It made me nervous to be near him.

There was a light throbbing on my neck where I was bitten, and I closed my eyes tight for a second before reaching my hand and gingerly touching the wound. It only hurt a little and I felt no blood.

The man leaned closer over me, his dark eyes glaring into mines. I wish I knew what he was thinking and what he wanted. I should have asked, but for some reason, I wanted to wait until he spoke first before I said anything. He looked angry for a second as his hand caressed the side of my face. He leaned over me and I felt like I had just been touched by an angel. What was happening to me?

He leaned over me closer to my face, his frown softening a bit. I held my breath as we grew closer.

"I'm sorry for what's about to happen…" his warm breath whispered into my ear. He sounded genuinely sincere when he said this.

What did he mean? What was going to happen?

I felt fingers lifting my damp t-shirt up slowly over my stomach and I closed my eyes tight. I was afraid. I was ashamed. I knew what sex was, but I never thought I would be giving myself to someone…so soon. I'd never been naked in front of a man and I knew that men liked big breasts and curvy hips…that's what I saw on TV anyways. I didn't have those assets that men wanted from women.

_Why am I not protesting this? Why am I allowing this to happen? _

But deep inside of my soul, I knew that I had to let this happen.

My breathing became rapid as my shirt was discarded somewhere and I was cold. I quickly covered my chest, not allowing him to see my unattractive, worn bra. Still lying on my back on the bed, I felt my pants being slid down my legs and once they were gone, his arms were under each of my thighs, his hands picking me up slightly and pulling me down the bed closer to him.

_Let him leave his scent on you…_

The voice in my head was loud and clear.

The man had stilled on the end of the bed. He looked at me blindly—not really seeing me. I felt his hands uncover my breasts. He looked down at them and slowly removed the straps from my shoulders. I gasped when my naked flesh was exposed to a man for the very first time. I felt an unfamiliar pain on the tips of my breasts as the cold air hit them. I was sure that my face was as red as scarlet. I felt my heart beating uncontrollably. I felt sweat invade the surface of my skin on my forehead. I was looking everywhere, but at the man. I couldn't watch him looking at me like this. This was all so very new to me. It scared me that I somehow knew that this had to happen.

Warm fingers traced my stomach in wide circles slowly, going further down until they reached the edge of my panties. Slowly, my underwear descended down my thighs…calves…toes…until they hit the floorboard lightly. I felt myself shaking and my lips trembled…my breathing erratic. I shut my eyes.

I felt my legs being spread apart and I allowed it. I felt him crawling in between my thighs and then lean over me—his face now closes in to mine. I could feel his hot breath hitting the side of my face. His body was so big compared to mine. I peeked at him through my lashes now. He had both arms on either side of me, keeping me in. I swallowed thickly and forced myself to stare back at him. I noticed that he was naked now, every part of his warmth touching me.

This was the closest we had ever been yet. Every part of his handsome face was clear to me now. And I knew that I would remember this face for the rest of my life—every angle of it, every mark. I shyly reached my right hand up and lightly touched his cheek. I needed to know if he was real. He was. He seemed almost shocked that I had touched him in such an intimate way, I guess. He watched as my hand fell back to my side and then his hungry eyes focused back on me.

One of his arms reached down and I felt fingers spread the outer skin of my…private area…apart. I jumped and bit my lip hard. The man looked back at me and bent his head down to my bite mark. He slowly licked the wound and I felt so calm. I didn't jump again when I felt a stabbing pain push inside of me. I squeezed my eyes shut again and felt a tear fall down the side of my face. I breathed steadily through my mouth as the man begins to move his body away from me and then back in again a few times slowly. The pain was almost unbearable, but I was so relieved when I felt him push all the way through. He let out a long, shaky breath when he felt it too.

He paused for a moment and whispered, "You have to look at me while I mate you for the first time."

I opened my eyes. Even through my tears, I could see a spark between the man and I in this moment. A spark that would lead us through so many obstacles together. In this moment, I gave myself to this man whom I knew nothing about.

My pain in my lower body started to become numb and I began to feel an unfamiliar pleasure inside of me where the man and I were connected.

"Aaahhh," the man moaned out as he closed his eyes and bit down hard on his lip. He was moving inside of me now differently. He was no longer moving his penis in and out of me. Now, he stayed inside and moved only his hips in a delightful rotation and it felt so amazing that my toes curled and my legs now rose to hold his hips to me. I didn't know what had come of me being so reserved before, but the pleasure that I was feeling made me forget about everything else. It was just the man and me right now. Just us.

"Ooh," I whispered, not realizing it came out the way it did. I grabbed onto the man's sweaty lower back with both hands, my bare feet resting on his rear as he continued to rotate his hips.

Suddenly, he sat back and the tips of my fingers fell to his abdominal as he pummeled into me with fervor, his strong hands holding me down at the waist. My mouth opened in awe of him and this new feeling he was giving to me. He was moving so hard and as he looked down at me, I saw his dark eyes flicker with specks of white and his jaw clenched tight.

"Ooooh God…." He whispered huskily in a shaky voice as the squeaking bed came to a still and his fingers squeezed into my flesh. I almost screamed when I felt my lower area throbbing from pleasure and I began to tremble and breathe erratically. I felt the man jerk wildly while he still plummeted into me, a warm fluid filling the inside of me. He soon slowed down until he stopped completely. I was embarrassed now and pushed my sweaty hair over my cheeks. I looked at my hands shyly as the man quickly got off of me and sat the farthest away from me on the bed. He looked angry now and I was scared he'd catch me peeking at him through my hair. I covered myself up timidly with the rumpled sheets and stayed quiet until he spoke first. He bent down to get his pants off the floor. I took note that my vagina felt weird…it was sticky and numb. It was well worth the feeling that overtook my body a few minutes ago. I had actually lost my virginity. This was really insane. But now, the man sat quietly away from me. Still naked, his pants sitting on his lap forgotten.

He shook his head and without looking at me, he asked in a thick voice, "What's your name?"

I liked his voice very much, I noted.

I looked down at my hands in my lap as I answered him softly. We didn't even know each other's names. That wasn't a good start to becoming friends.

"Melanie…Melanie Guidry," I answered shyly, twiddling my thumbs.

"How old are you, Melanie?" The man asked, almost reluctantly.

"Fifteen." I told him.

He sighed long and hard, running his hand through his cropped, black hair.

After about another minute, he stood up and I looked back down at the bed. I could hear him putting his clothes on and I felt insecure and small just sitting here not sure of what to do or say next. He didn't want me here, I was sure of that. Why did he bring me here though? Why did I feel like I couldn't leave even if I tried?

My lips trembled and I could feel that I was about to cry. I wanted to ask the man questions of my own, but I was too afraid. Just as the man was about to leave the room, he turned around to look at me with pity in his eyes.

"My name is Jacob Black. And I'm sorry I got you into this shit."


	2. Chapter 2

Soul_mates _Chapter 2

Boss

Scared, alone, hurt, confused...I felt it all. Jacob Black had not come back in the house yet. He left almost three hours ago after we had...had _sex_. I heard the outside door slam hard as he parted the house, which made me jump a little still in his bed. A part of me wanted to be alone now, but the other part of me longed to be held by the man who I gave myself to so willingly—no questions asked. It would have been very nice to have him whisper in my ear that everything would be ok and that he would explain the things I had felt in my heart since we met only a few hours ago. I really needed some sort of explanation. I always imagined my first time would be something special. I don't know...maybe have candles lit around the bedroom and rose pedals on the bed. I'd always imagined that I'd be courted first for a few months, maybe a year or so even...and have a shiny gold ring on my left hand when I finally had sex for the first time. To have given myself so freely to a complete stranger would have disgusted me yesterday. When I met Jacob Black, though, all of my morals went out the window as this complete stranger came into my life.

Now I sit in the same spot all alone, trembling and staring anxiously at the door awaiting what would happen next. The minutes turn into hours as I wait just laying in the bed with my thoughts. It is now two in the morning and my eyes are heavy. I have to pee really bad and feel the need to clean my vagina since the stickiness has dried up and the numbness turning into pain from the penetration it just went through with Jacob-not that I minded since I had consumed so much pleasure in our private moment together. He was a bit rough with me, though. It seemed like he wasn't really in control of himself as we 'mated'—if I remember his term used correctly. Or maybe he just didn't realize I was a virgin and thought he needed to be more patient. Maybe I should've spoken up, but I was honestly afraid to. My body was demanding to be with him and the logical part of my brain was just not functioning right. Even now, I want to know that he is ok, even though I know it's just _plain_ weird. I had no idea who this Jacob Black was and the fact that he was _sorry _for getting me into this shit-whatever _this shit _was-had me completely terrified. Terrified as I was, I _still _worried about him.

I felt alone. I had no one I could talk to about this. Not my mom, not a friend, not Jacob Black apparently...no one. As another half hour slowly crept by, I stood from the bed and hissed when my thighs clamped together. I parted them a little-surely my vagina was swollen now. I wobbled around the tiny room and found my damp underwear and clothing. I quickly put them on, which was uncomfortable, and placed my ear to the bedroom door. I didn't hear anything and I assumed I was alone in the house. I slowly twisted the doorknob and stepped out into the narrow hallway. There were two doors on the opposite wall. The door almost directly across from me was closed and the one to my left, towards the end of the hall was slightly ajar. I decided this was probably the bathroom.

I hesitantly peeked in and flicked the light on in the tiny space. It was the bathroom. I immediately stepped in, shut and locked the door, and pulled down my pants. It stung a little from the pain I had in my privates, but I let out a sigh of relief when I was done. I had been holding that in far too long afraid to leave the bedroom. After I was done, I wondered if Jacob would mind if I took a quick shower. I really felt icky and didn't want him to see me like this. I decided that he probably wouldn't care. I mean, he did take me here. I showered really fast and washed my hair with the men's shampoo sitting on the edge of the tub. When I was done, I wrapped a towel around me and ran back into the bedroom. I briefly noted the handicap railing in the shower, but it was quickly forgotten.

I found my black shoulder bag I carried with me everywhere just in case I couldn't sleep at home those nights my mother acted crazy. I sighed with relief when I noticed it was dry since I hid it under my jacket. Thunder roared outside and I looked up out the window to see that it had been raining again. It made me worry about Jacob Black. I frowned, staring out the window. He must really hate me. Why would he want anything to do with me being that I gave myself to him without knowing his name? He probably did these things with women all the time, I realized. I felt my face get warm and I sat on the edge of the bed and held my head in my hands.

"Shit!" I cursed, feeling my eyes swell with tears. How could I be so stupid? How could I do this to myself? I was so ashamed. I would never be able to look him in the eye ever again.

I picked up my bag and took out my hair brush, a clean bra and underwear, worn out blue jeans, and a plain, red t-shirt. I always kept a clean change of clothes in my bag and I was certainly glad I did tonight. I quickly brushed my hair into a loose, wet ponytail and put my clothes and tennis shoes on. I grabbed my umbrella, jacket and rushed as fast as I could walk to the front door. Just as I opened the door and took a step outside, my chest heaved painfully and I fell to the floor on the porch. I crouched on all floors and breathed in deeply through my mouth, panting as if I had run a marathon. I didn't know what was wrong with me, but it hurt like hell. I no longer felt like running away anymore. I _couldn't_. My limbs grew weaker with each crawl I attempted to get down the steps. I stopped trying.

After I had come to the conclusion that there was no way I was going anywhere in the state I was in, I sat up slowly and dazedly looked out into the pouring rain. My chest still hurt severely. I struggled to stand to my feet. Clenching my teeth together, I willed myself to stand upright and backed up inside the house. I walked unsteadily back to the bedroom and shut the door behind me. The pain in my chest was completely gone now. I walked to the bed and slid under the covers, not even untying my shoes or removing the bag from my shoulder. I cried myself to sleep that night.

~*~0~*~0~*~0~*~0~*~0~*~

My skin was warm when I woke up. Very warm. I yawned tiredly and rubbed the sleep from my eyes. I sat up in bed and shielded my eyes from the bright light coming through the window. I looked around the room and jumped slightly when I saw Jacob asleep next to the bed on the floor. His back was to the bed and he had a pillow slipped carelessly behind his head. He was shirtless and his black hair was messed, but he looked peaceful in sleep. I was happy that he was ok and I smiled a little. I was also nervous to see him now after last night. I had many questions, but I was not sure on how to ask them or even if I was _allowed _to ask any questions at all. I wasn't sure how I knew to just be patient with Jacob Black right now until _he _was ready.

My stomach rumbled with hunger and I tried moving away farther from Jacob as to try and quiet it. I really was starving though being that I had not eaten since breakfast yesterday. I quietly slipped off the bed and limped to the bedroom door, looking back at a sleeping Jacob before I left the room.

I crept slowly to the front door and placed my hand on the knob to leave the house. Before turning, my breathing was becoming painfully heavy again as it did last night when I tried to leave the home, and I jerked my hand away from the knob as if I had been burned by it. I shyly walked into the quiet kitchen and opened the fridge. I was happy to see a pack of ham and even happier to find bread in the breadbox on the counter. I sat down at the kitchen table and didn't seem to notice I was so hungry that I was barely chewing my food.

"Well, good morning!" A cheerful, older voice called out to me happily. I nearly choked and quickly put down the sandwich on the napkin. I looked up, still trying to swallow and saw a happy faced older man in a wheelchair. I blushed and looked down at the table after I managed to swallow the mouthful I had.

"Hello," I said in a tiny voice, embarrassed. Who the heck was this?

"My, you look very young," the man observed to himself, but only a _wee_ bit too loudly for me to hear him. He narrowed his eyes at me. "Are you okay, sweetheart?"

I bit my trembling lip and blinked back tears. What do I do? What should I say?

It was quiet as the man waited for me to speak.

"I-I'm sorry..." I managed to mumble as a tear fell down my cheek.

The man looked surprised at my apology and quickly rolled over to me, taking my hand inside his.

"Hey, you don't need to cry, sweetie. I'm sorry if I scared you ok? Finish eating, I didn't mean to interrupt you. Geez, you look like you haven't eaten anything since the Last Supper," the man joked and I was taken aback at his gentleness and laughter. I couldn't help but to smile at his kindness.

"There you go...you're much prettier when you smile," he said and patted the outside of my hand gently before letting it go.

There was awkward silence for a few moments as the man searched me, concerned.

"Thanks for doing that..." I mumbled to the man, swiping the tears away. How embarrassing!

"No problem. My name is Billy, by the way. Jacob's father," he said proudly. "I'm assuming you've met my son, right? Unless you broke into our home to eat a crappy sandwich." Billy laughed and I realized how much his laughter made me feel comfortable.

"But you don't seem like the type to break and enter," he noted, looking at me with friendly eyes.

"Oh, gosh no! I wouldn't do that," I told him.

He laughed and shrugged. "Figured that."

I looked back down at the table. "Um, well yes. I've met your son already." I found myself blushing, hoping that Billy didn't _know _what was really going on right now between me and Jacob Black. Considering, especially, since I myself didn't know what was going on. I hadn't even considered that someone else would be in the house, how stupid and inconsiderate of me. As I've said, the logical part of my brain was currently out of order.

"Is that so?" Billy asked while wheeling himself to the coffee pot.

I nodded timidly, not willing to look him in the eyes.

"Um, would you like me to do it? I can make coffee," I offered. It was the least I could do after being found red-handed in his home. That and to take my mind off of seeing Jacob Black again when he woke up.

Billy just smiled at me and shook his head. "Oh no, you're a guest! We take care of guests in our home, Ms...?"

"Oh! I'm sorry. I'm Melanie."

Billy smiled and put down his coffee cup so he could wheel back over to me. He held out his hand to shake mine and I complied with a small, appreciative smile. Instead of making me feel guilty of my actions and ashamed (which I still was), he tried to make me feel comfortable and not like a stranger. I was grateful. I didn't know good people still existed in this world.

"Well, what a pretty name that is. Are you from around here?"

I shook my head. "Uh, no. I'm from Lewiston, Idaho."

"Oh, really? That's quite a ways from La Push, Washington, my dear...for someone so young."

I just nodded my head slowly and stared back at the table. "Yes. Well, I was in Bellevue for awhile. Only a five or six hour drive by bus..." I let my voice drift off and hoped Billy took the hint that I was uncomfortable talking about it any further. I was nervous as it was, but he was such a nice man it seemed. I hoped his son was just as nice once I got to know him. Hopefully he wanted to get to know me as well.

And just like that…I was violently tense and ashamed again when I heard _his _voice.

"Morning," a rough and tired voice mumbled. I looked up, already knowing it was Jacob. I blushed when our eyes connected and my heart pounded nervously in my chest. I hated acting this shy, but I couldn't help it. I quickly fiddled my fingers and looked away. He was certainly just as gorgeous as he was last night even with his hair sticking up in every direction.

"Morning," I responded softly, in unison with Billy.

"I met your lovely friend, son," Billy told Jacob pointedly. I didn't even have to look up to know Billy was giving Jacob a long, hard look.

I was mortified. What was Jacob thinking right now? Was he as nervous as I was?

"Great, dad," he said dryly. "Want any breakfast?"

Nope, he didn't sound very nervous. He sounded a little irritated and sarcastic. I frowned to myself with concern.

"Well, of course I do, son," Billy said to Jacob and wheeled himself over to me. I heard him plop his cup of coffee down on the table. I, on the other hand stayed quiet and became very interested in the dark lines of the wooden table. It didn't register in my head that Jacob was speaking to me also.

"Melanie?" I heard him say my name and I became breathless. I looked up at him and his brow was raised questioningly. "You want breakfast?"

I looked at the table again and shook my head. I had a half-eaten sandwich in front of me and didn't want to seem greedy even though I knew I'd still be hungry after this. "No, thank you."

Jacob didn't respond, he just went about his business whipping eggs in a wooden bowl.

It was quiet in the small space and I felt awkward. My right cheek tingled with unwanted blush as I worried how I looked and what Jacob thought of me. I looked at him from the corner of my eye as he flipped pancakes. His strong face was concentrated on the task at hand, not even looking in my direction even once. Would he explain to his father how I ended up in his house last night? If he did, I hope it waited until I was no longer around.

Jacob sat a plate in front of me and a glass of orange juice. I looked up at him. He didn't smile or anything, but he didn't look necessarily unfriendly either. I smiled shyly at him and shivered when he sat at the table with Billy and me. I ate slowly, just listening to father and son talk about things happening around the reservation they resided on. It sort of amazed me to enjoy my pancakes as Jacob didn't exactly look like the type of guy to cook well. I guess I shouldn't judge a book by its cover.

For awhile, I felt invisible and was strangely relieved by that fact. Of course, that relief went away when I realized that I was just an elephant in the room and the men were being polite seeing that I was obviously very red in the cheeks and embarrassed. I just wanted this awkward feeling to go away and know what the heck was going on already. I barely looked up during breakfast as I was trying, very gracefully, to eat my pancake stack without getting syrup all over my face. It had been a long time since I felt my age until now, I realized. I was usually the adult, but being here somehow made me feel young and immature.

A slight shift in my seat caused me to intake a slow breath through my nose as the pain from sitting down hurt my private area a little. I think Jacob noticed my reaction because he looked up at me quickly with emotionless eyes before nodding to something Billy was saying. Of course, my luck would run out soon as Billy didn't forget the elephant after all (being _me_).

"How long will you be staying with us, Melanie?" Billy asked me with a kind smile.

Of course, I had no idea what to tell him and I pondered why he would be so welcoming to someone he didn't know anything about. What was I supposed to say? Did he assume that Jacob and I were on good terms and that we weren't complete strangers to each other?

I furrowed my brows and bit my lip hesitantly as I looked at Billy-refusing to meet Jacob's eyes.

"She'll be here awhile, dad," Jacob said to his father and stood up from the table, gathering his empty dish.

The way he said it sounded like there was no room for discussion about the subject—let alone from me. Here I was just accepting that this unknown man was making decisions about my life. I couldn't wait to get some answers from him and to get to know each other beyond what we had already seen last night. I closed my eyes tight and parted my lips to breathe through my mouth trying to will away _that _thought.

"Well, son, I'm sure she has parents that are worried about her whereabouts..."

_Right, _I thought sarcastically.

Ignoring his father, Jacob leaned down to gather my plate—which I had polished off. Our eyes met for a brief moment, but he looked away first—not a smile, not anything.

"I can wash the dishes since you cooked breakfast," I offered him politely.

Jacob just shrugged. "It's fine," was all he said and turned to the sink.

_Ok…_

I watched him a few seconds, the way his arms flexed as he scrubbed the dishes angrily. I looked away when I saw his back muscles tense under his tan skin and his movements slowed as he picked his head up…listening for something perhaps.

Before I had time to dwell on what his problem was or shrink away from Billy's inquisitive stare, there was a loud knock on the door. Billy was the one who answered, rolling to the door with a slight frown.

I hear a few deep, manly voices greeting Billy and heavy feet pounding the floorboard as they made way to the kitchen. Could this morning get any more flustering for me? My eyes snapped back to the table and I bit my lip really hard awaiting the strangers' glares.

"'Sup Jake?" One of the voices said and paused, no doubt noticing the elephant.

"Hey, man…" A new voice greeted and let his words drift away hesitantly.

"Whoa, who is _this_?" Another man asked outright, not hiding his intrusiveness. Clearly, _this_ particular man wasn't shy at all I gathered already.

It only made me become even more of a mute. How would Jacob explain my presence to his presumed friends? Would I be some poor girl who he found on the streets in the pouring rain who needed a place to lay her head for the night? Or would I be some whore who he met in a club that he ended up having a one night stand with? Or would he be honest and tell them every detail of our strange meeting and the intimate details of our night together?

Either way I was screwed.

I heard Jacob Black let out a slow, reluctant breath. I slowly lifted my eyes to Jacob, who was looking at his friends with a hidden expression. I sniffled and he looked directly into my eyes. His face became sorrowful and…worried maybe? I felt the tears rolling down my cheeks before I even knew I was crying at all.

I slowly turned my gaze away from the one who was somehow hurting me and my heart, and, a bit more bravely, looked at the five other men in the room, including Billy.

One by one, three of the unknown men, dropped to their knees before me—not breaking their gaze at first. They bowed their heads slightly to me, as if I was a princess or any type of royalty even. It was…_bizarre_. It was as though their sane minds were replaced by something more…undomesticated. I don't know. Just really _really_ weird.

My tears definitely stopped since a new feeling was taking over. One of complete confusion. My eyes narrowed, perplexed at the men's reaction to me. And one by one as soon as they had knelt before me, they lifted themselves up and just greeted Jacob with slaps on his back…almost as if they were congratulating him for something. I turned away from them when I saw Jacob smacking their hands away and shaking his head with what seemed like…._grief_? The fourth man, who didn't fall to his knees, seemed older and wiser. He looked back and forth between me and Jacob with interest.

When he saw me noting his behavior, he came over to me and offered me his huge hand. I hesitated a moment before giving in to any type of kindness that Jacob _Black _was not offering me. Instead of shaking my hand, the man pulled me up swiftly and crushed me in warm, friendly embrace.

I was startled to say the least and the man pulled back and smiled big before letting me go completely.

"I'm Sam, by the way," the man said and pointed to the other three guys. "And this is Embry, Seth, and Quil….otherwise known as tweedle dee, tweedle doo, and tweedle dumb."

I smiled at his joke, despite myself. The three men smiled at me each greeting me in their own way while still surrounding Jacob.

"Yeah, and I noticed you pointed to me when you said 'tweedle dumb' Sam. Not cool at all," Quil said to Sam in a mock hurt voice. _Ah_, so this is the intrusive one. I could tell from his voice.

"You'll be alright, I'm sure of it," Seth told Quil, patting him sympathetically on the back causing Embry to laugh.

Silence filled with lots of unanswered questions and tension filled the small kitchen. I stood with my hands clasp together in front of me and eyes finding interest in the floor. I really hoped someone would say something soon. I wanted to steal a glance at Jacob, but I was too afraid he still wore an unfriendly expression on his handsome face. I settled for Billy instead. He was quiet the whole time and now he had his head lowered and eyes closed moving his head from side to side as if he could not believe that _something _had just happened.

I decided that I could do without the awkwardness for a few minutes.

"I…I'm going to lie down for a little while…if…" I said softly, pausing to moisten my dry lips. "…if that's ok."

My eyes never left the floor as I waited for some type of response. I wasn't sure why I waited at all. I just didn't want to seem rude even though all I really wanted was to get the hell out of there.

"Ok."

That was Jacob. Hearing his voice, even for a tiny second, had my body trembling. I walked away from the men, squinting in pain as I tried to walk normal from the pain that still lingered, and back into Jacob's small bedroom. I breathed a sigh of relief when I was out of sight, but was far from relieved.

I heard the front door open, feet filing out of the house, and the door closed. I could hear Billy's voice since Jacob's window was positioned near the front porch, but his words were choppy. He sounded troubled and reprimanding.

"Jake…you thinking?…she looks _so_ young…being disrespectful to…where…parents?"

"I don't know…" was all he said. I rolled my eyes. This Jacob Black sure didn't speak much. That was about the only thing I had learned about him since I've known him all these ten hours.

"How could you touch her?" Billy screamed at Jacob with disbelief. My eyes flashed wide open with dread and regret. Did Billy know? How did he know that Jacob touched me? I didn't hear Jacob say anything back for awhile and I thought that maybe the conversation was over.

"Jacob…does she know?" This was Sam's voice. His voice calm.

There was more silence. Somebody sighed long and hard.

"I never wanted _this_," Jacob finally said. His voice sounded heartbroken laced with anger. I felt sad because I felt _his_ sadness, _his_ pain. I sunk to the bed and stared at absolutely nothing as I thought about the moment I met Jacob Black. I absentmindedly fingered my bite mark which was hidden under my shirt. What did Jacob not _want_? Was he talking about _me_? Did he not want _me_? What did I ever do to him? I didn't come to his home all by myself. _He_ bought me here.

"If you're not going to accept it, Jake, then you need to let her be. You don't need to be taking your anger out on an innocent person." I heard Sam's composed tone telling Jacob.

"_Especially_ a young woman." That was Billy.

It was quiet as Jacob contemplated what was being said to him. Would he get rid of me now since I wasn't wanted anymore? Was it something I did last night when we were intimate? Was it because my body wasn't developed enough for _his_ taste? I really hated to think negative about myself when I knew none of this was my fault, but I couldn't help it. I really wanted to stay with him...to _be_ with him and care for him. I didn't know why, but it was something unearthly that held me to him.

Finally, I heard _him_ say, "You _know_ it's not that fucking simple, Sam." Jacob sounded menacing. I could tell by his tone that his buttons were being pushed too far and that he would crack soon.

A small whimper came unwanted from my lips as I attempted to hold back my cries.

"...gotta get...hell out of here...awhile," was what I heard Jacob mutter. I didn't need to peek through the small window overlooking the front yard to know that Jacob had fled from the small group outside.

I sighed shakily. If it wasn't _simple_ for Jacob to get rid of me, then I would make it simple. I was not about to stay anywhere I wasn't wanted. I didn't stay with my own mother and wasn't about to stay here either, no matter how nice Billy was.

I laid my head on Jacob's soft pillows, breathing his masculine scent in through my nostrils before drifting off to sleep.

_Tap, tap, tap..._

_A fierce growl ripped through the quiet forest from behind me. I was running so fast, so far away. I wish I could see the trail in front of me, but it was surrounded by thick fog. All I could do was run forward and hope that it led me to where ever I was going. Something was chasing me and it was very angry that I was running away from it. It pushed me from behind until I fell forward onto my stomach. I tried to crawl away, but all I saw was it's huge, wet paws on either side of my face as it hovered above me. Too afraid to turn over, too coward to run away, I stayed my ground and quaked with fear. I felt it's sharp canines near my face, moving closer to my neck...closer to my scar..._

_Tap, tap, tap..._

"Melanie..." a hoarse voice whispers in my ear.

I felt a warm shiver consume my body and I awoke with a sharp gasp. The room is dark as I glance around quickly to make sure I had my surroundings in check...to be definite that I was no longer in the forest. My breathing slowed as I sat up in bed, realizing it was only a dream, a horrible nightmare.

I pushed my hair out of my face and turned my gaze towards the window. It was nearly nighttime. How could I sleep almost the entire day? Rain tapped against the windowpane hard. It was open about an inch and it wasn't before...I don't think. That's when I noticed him in the corner of the room. His face was hard, emotionless. He rested his left leg on the floor and his right leg was bent at the knee. His right arm rested on the bent knee. His eyes focused on me with...something I couldn't explain. I didn't feel uncomfortable, but I felt like a small child looking into his deep set eyes so I shied away and turned my eyes downward. I _was _a coward.

He said nothing, but I felt his eyes still glaring. Nerves were getting the best of me and I began to tremble. Holding my arms tight against my chest, I bit down on my lip hard as I willed myself to speak to him.

No words came.

I heard him let out a breath of air through his nose.

"Get your things, we're leaving."

I looked up at him then. Was he serious? Leaving? To go where? In this weather?

I needed to know what was going on and why he treated me as though he wanted nothing to do with me after what happened.

"Why don't you like me, Jacob?" I asked him, surprising myself with my question, but not backing down. "Why?" I asked again in a small whisper, my voice trembling with rejection.

I saw his eyes go wide for a small second until he covered it up with no emotion at all. His jaw clenched and he gulped.

"Get. Your. Things." He enunciated his words with threat in between and my shaking body rose from the bed with obedience.

My unbrushed hair fell over my eyes as I gathered my bag from off the floor and picked up my shoes that I somehow kicked off my feet during my nap. When I turned around, Jacob was right behind me. I jumped at his sudden closeness. He placed both hands on either side of my neck and bent down to my level, his dilated eyes boring holes into mines. He looked as though he was searching for something. I placed my tiny hands over his stiff arms with fear at what he would do.

He stared at me like this for about a minute and I felt tiny and insignificant. If he noticed my timidness, he sure didn't do anything to stop it.

I blinked rapidly to still the tears at bay. I saw Jacob blink, too, and he leaned down to my neck...the side where my newly made scar was...I felt him sniff at me, which was a bit _feral_.

"You _are _mine, _Melanie..._"

I was helpless, unable to move under his spell. One hand reached down to squeeze my waist.

"Say it..." he whispered to me.

"_Say_ it," he hissed again and squeezed hard when I didn't respond.

I cried out with pain and hurriedly spoke out. "I am yours, I am yours Jacob."

He let my waist go and shocked me by stroking the side of my face. "You are young, but there is nothing I can do about that now. I need you to understand that you are going to have to trust me and my decisions because I am the boss. You understand that?"

I nodded, quickly, my eyes blurring with tears. I bit my lip and whimpered when I felt Jacob's strong grip on my waist again.

"_Say it_," he hissed through his teeth. "Tell me what I am."

"Y-you're my boss..." My teeth clattered, suddenly afraid.

I looked at him as he smirked down at me...a sarcastic smirk. He pulled away from me, still staring into my eyes.

"That's right," he whispered. "I am the boss." His dark eyes twinkled with amusement as they watched me closely.

"Come on. We have to go," he said to me more softly as though he was coming back to earth.

I didn't bother asking where we were going. He said to trust his decisions and I would do that. I had to. Not because of fear, but because my spirit was telling that it was ok to follow him and that everything will be ok in time.

In time...


	3. Chapter 3

SoulMates Chapter 3

"Six double cheeseburgers, four orders of fries, and three apple pies," he told the drive-thru order taker and pulled up to the second window when told. He handed the money to the cashier and received all his food in return. I wasn't sure how someone could eat so much. On our way to wherever we were going in Jacob's dark blue, tinted truck, he had somehow heard my stomach growling and said that he would stop to get us some food before we got to the motel. Now, why we were staying in a motel was beyond me.

Jacob didn't look at me or talk to me during our ride. It only took us about ten or fifteen minutes to get to our destination. We passed a sign that read 'Forks, WA' and were soon turning into the parking lot of a dinky motel. Once the truck was parked, Jacob told me to "stay" and I watched as he entered the main lobby and disappear for a few minutes. While he was gone, I closed my eyes in my seat and let out an exhausted breath. I was on edge when he was in close proximity to me. He made me so nervous. I mean, what were we doing? I had never hung out with many people, never had many friends, especially a boy…_man. _And Jacob had said that I was _his. _The way he said it was so raw and I accepted it so quickly that I did indeed belong to him. Why was I not running for my life? What is it that is keeping me bound to this stranger? Could I ask him about it tonight without him getting annoyed with me? Clearly, if I was his then certainly I had some sort of say so right? My head was a mess and I felt a severe headache tapping at my skull. My hand warily touched the door handle as I fought the urge on whether to run from this undeniable force that made me want to stay with him. My fingers slowly latched around the handle and pulled. I could hear the latch click and the door fall loose on its hinges. My headache worsened the more the door eased opened, allowing my escape. I was blinded by the pain and my breathing became desperate. I was unable to move. I forced the door closed and just like magic…the pain stopped. Why was that? How could that happen?

I watched him closely when he reappeared from the main entrance. I observed the way he walked slowly with confidence. He showed no emotion, which I was sadly beginning to get used to. His physique was strong and lean and I could tell Jacob Black was someone who was not afraid of anything or anyone. As he neared his truck, I felt my body tense with anxiety again and I looked away out of my window.

He got in, started the car, and drove us around to the back of the building. He parked again and got out the truck quickly. I heard him getting some things out the trunk and I unbuckled my seat belt and reached into the backseat where my bag lay. He opened my door for me and we looked at each other briefly, him turning away first. I followed behind as he led us to the room we'd be staying in. He used a key and unlocked the door and looked inside the dark room first before allowing me to walk in. He shut the door behind us. The room was pitch black, but I could make out Jacob's outline as he placed his belongings down and settled in. I was shocked he hadn't tripped over anything yet. He must've realized that I hadn't moved from my position and easily found the light switch. He flicked it on and made his way out the door again.

One bed.

My face heated and I was unsure of what to do. Obviously, Jacob and I slept together already, but it still made me nervous. I heard the door open behind me and realized I had not moved an inch.

"You can put your things down," Jacob said to me and I looked back at him briefly. His brow was raised, amused. He had our dinner in his hands.

I blushed and moved slowly to the bed. I put my bag down on the nightstand and sat down. Jacob came over and handed me my burger, fries, and apple pie.

He sat on the other side of the bed and we both ate our food in silence. Jacob finished before me even though he had way more food than I. After he got rid of his trash, he propped a pillow against the headboard and stretched his long body out on the bed. He flicked the TV on and kept his eyes and distance away from me the entire time. I got up to throw my trash away and then looked awkwardly down at the floor, not knowing what to do. I would have liked to shower, just to get out of the same room as _him _for a few minutes.

I fidgeted unsurely for a few seconds and shyly raised my eyes to Jacob. He was staring back at me, showing no concern at all. Was he always an ass?

It was a quiet moment between us and I lowered my eyes once again and moved to get my bag off the nightstand. I opened it and got my toothbrush and paste that I kept in the side pocket.

"Melanie…" Jacob said, softly.

My heart jumped in my chest at the sound of his voice calling my name that way. I looked at him, my eyes wide with anticipation. He gave me a soft smile and I was almost relieved to see that. It was the first time I saw a smile on him. He should do it more often.

"Yes?" I answered in a tiny voice, tucking a few pieces of hair behind my ear.

"You don't need to fear me," he said to me and stood from the bed slowly. I watched him closely as he came near me, but stopped when he was only a few inches away.

"There will be times when I will make you afraid, but now isn't the time. You understand?"

_No_.

"Y-yes.." I whispered.

What was _that_ supposed to mean? Did he think I would be less afraid of him now when he just told me that sometimes I _will_ be afraid? What sense did that make?

He smirked and narrowed his eyes at me.

"You're getting upset. I can see you trembling and your fists are balled up tight. Did you not agree with something I said?"

The way he spoke made me even more afraid of him. He sounded like he had no feeling in his heart for what he says to me at all or how he makes me feel. Still, he was right. I was angry, but I was surprised he could _see_ it. I thought I was doing a good job of hiding it.

I shook my head and looked at the floor again.

"It's ok to disagree, Melanie. I am not perfect," his voice was deep and he inched a little closer to me, slowly closing the gap. I froze when he leaned to whisper in my ear.

"Far from perfect…" he whispered to me in a throaty voice that made me shiver and close my eyes tight. "I will not always be right, but my intentions will always be in favor of you or myself. Do you understand?"

_No, I don't._

I could barely breathe, I was so nervous being close to him.

I started to nod my head, but thought it would be better to give him an answer out loud to not upset him.

"Yes," I whispered fearfully.

"Good." He backed away from me a little, but still kept his eyes on me.

"Do you have any clean clothes in your bag?"

I shook my head, not looking at him. "No, this is the last of it," I gestured to my t-shirt and jeans I currently was wearing.

"We'll get you some clothes tomorrow, problem solved," he said simply and shrugged. "You can sleep in one of my t-shirts. It'll be long enough to cover you."

He turned away and walked to his bag. I just stood there and watched him as he rummaged through his things until he found what he was looking for. He came back over to me and handed me a black shirt.

"Thank you. I can sleep in what I have on already though. I…" I stopped talking when I felt my face flushing with embarrassment. I was _not _about to tell him why I wanted to sleep in my own clothes.

"You what?" Jacob asked, looking at me with little concern.

I swallowed thickly and folded the shirt over my arm. "I…I don't have any clean underwear left."

I didn't look up at Jacob, hoping he took the hint that I was not wearing just a shirt to bed with nothing on underneath.

I heard him sigh with realization. It grew quiet.

"Melanie, the shirt will cover your body well enough. I won't be able to see anything, if that's what you're worried about."

I nodded slowly. I felt silly really. It's not like he hadn't already seen me naked.

I turned and headed for the bathroom. Just before I closed the door behind me, I heard him whisper to my retreating back…

"I won't touch you, I promise…"

It surprised me to hear him say that. Not really his words, but the tone he said it. It was as if he felt guilty or regretful. Or perhaps he was disgusted at what he saw last night. It made me sad to think that. I mean, a guy like Jacob probably got many women in his bed. Why me?

I tucked my hair behind my ear, distracted, and lay Jacob's shirt neatly over the towel rack before starting the shower. The warm water trickled down my body and I felt relieved for a moment, away from Jacob's eyes. My mind was relatively blank as I waited under the hot water, afraid to think about what I was getting myself into. I couldn't move, I was as still as a corpse. Frozen with anxiety.

I fell apart in a matter of minutes. Here I was, a fifteen year old girl, running away from home, again, and I end up with a complete stranger at a motel. A complete stranger that I somehow trusted my life to and could not leave.

My crying was silent, as I did not want Jacob to know. My shoulders were hunched and I grabbed the wall to hold myself up from the painful sobs threatening to escape my throat and tear me apart.

I was scared. I couldn't deny that. I silently prayed to my God that he would keep me safe because something about Jacob was not stable. Something told me to be careful and that he could snap at anytime.

_God, please watch over me…_I whispered under the now cold water.

I leaned to turn the water off and stepped from the tub, trembling. It took me a few minutes to dress and make sure my eyes did not give me away from my breakdown.

Jacob ignored me when I stepped back into the room. He sat on the desk chair now looking nowhere. He looked stiff and unhappy and I knew it was my entire fault somehow. It made me very sad. I went over to the bed and pulled back the sheets. I didn't look at Jacob again until I was tucked snuggly under the sheets. The room was too quiet, even with the television on. Jacob wasn't watching it. He rubbed his eyes and ran his hand through his inky black hair. I looked away from him. I heard his breathing becoming abnormal, unsteady. And there was a slight vibration coming from his side of the room.

My brows furrowed and I looked at him, worried.

I sucked in my breath, slowly. His eyes were a bluish shade, almost white, like a husky. I was transfixed on the drastic change of appearance. I didn't scream, I didn't run away…I was absolutely bewitched. I was not sure my reaction made sense. A voice in my head had to remind me that this wasn't _right_…it wasn't normal. But it _felt_ right to me. It was natural for me to accept it.

Realization came across Jacob's face and he quickly got up and walked from the room. I could still see him through the half-opened blinds. He broke out in a sprint, while removing his shirt. He disappeared in the trees behind the motel.

I stared after him for a few seconds, numb. Then reality set in.

I wrapped my arms around my shivering body and hid underneath the covers.

I was more scared for Jacob than for myself. I could only hope that he would let me in eventually. I could only hope…

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

**_Current day (Eight months later…)_**

The seconds turned into minutes, the minutes into hours. When it was half an hour before six o'clock, I checked to make sure all the laundry was folded neatly or hung up in the closet and that his clothes were ironed, I made sure there were no overlooked stains or anything out of place in the bathroom or main room. Most importantly, I took the roast out of the oven and set our small dinner table.

Our routine was simple enough, nothing has changed since we moved to our rental home eight months ago in Port Angeles. Jacob wakes up, I cook breakfast and make his lunch, he goes to work, I clean the house and cook dinner, Jacob gets home, showers, sits down for dinner and ignores me the entire time—unless he is angry. I didn't exist to him. Ever since that night at the motel, it's like he chose to deliberately hurt me, stab me in the heart by avoiding me. We barely communicated, never joke around, never hug or kiss. I feel like a job to him. It's like he feels bound to me as I to him, but he doesn't want to be. Neither do I…not like this.

After the table is set, I sit down at the dinner table and wait, like I do every evening. I fidget anxiously when the digital clock on the microwave reads 6:00. I know it means Jacob will be home in only a matter of minutes. There are a few times when he's late or won't come home until the next morning. I asked him once where he goes those nights and he told me he spent time in La Push. I believed him. I knew he needed to spend time away from me, but just because I knew and allowed it, didn't mean it hurt any less.

I have spent some time on the reservation as Jacob brings me along on his off days sometimes. Of course, he drops me off at Billy's, or his sister Rachel's, home. Then, I don't see him again until he comes and pick me up hours later—often early in the morning hours. I don't ask questions on what he does or where he's been because he's mentioned that he doesn't like it when I do. He sometimes has this wild, untamed look that comes in his eyes after his night out, though. I know not to bother him when he is like this.

On a good note, Jacob's family and friends have been really good to me. It really is the only time I see Jacob smile when he is home in La Push. His on again-off again friend, Leah Clearwater has become like a big sister to me, which I don't think Jacob likes very much. I think Leah and the other Quileute women feel a bit sorry for me, but they never make me feel uncomfortable or left out of the loop. Leah's cousin, Emily, likes to pass on some of her old clothes to me since money is tight right now and I gladly accepted her offer being that I barely had any clothes at all when Jacob found me all those months ago.

I sighed, momentarily content. It's a different feeling when I'm with the ladies of La Push. I feel like I'm accepted and wanted on the reservation. I have never felt that way before. Never felt like I belonged anywhere…

I think the women knew that Jacob was unhappy, though. I hid my feelings better than him, I think. They knew his unhappiness was because of me, but they never said anything—at least not in my presence. Jacob is years older than me, I'm sure they talk about that fact behind my back too. I mean, we're nine years apart, but it doesn't bother me at all like it bothers Jacob. And today, well…today our age gap closes just a little, at least until Jacob's birthday in July. Today I've turned sixteen.

I'm plenty smart for my age. Many people have told me so before. I've taken care of myself since I was eleven. I'm not afraid to be on my own. I tried filing for emancipation from my mom just last summer, but the Juvenile Court said that I had to be sixteen. One thing that Jacob did agree on was making sure that I got my wish for being emancipated. He didn't ask me about my reasons for wanting it, but since it benefited him, he agreed to help on that matter.

And I'm not oblivious to my surroundings. There was something magical among the Quileute people. Most of the men that Jacob surrounded himself with were huge, ferocious creatures. Like…_literally_. When I stood next to any of them, I felt overtaken. The guys really were like animals. They were like a cult, very organized and always looking out for one another. I questioned him about the _odd _things that I've noticed one day when he was in a better mood. Jacob said that I wasn't a part of his family, yet. He said I was no one special to him and that he owed me no explanation as to why his eyes turned white or why I feel pain if I even _think _about leaving him. So, I knew something weird was happening but this magical force that surrounded me kept me grounded and kept me from running away from what I knew nothing about. I wasn't afraid of the truth. It felt natural to not be afraid of whatever it was.

Everything has it's reasoning, I guess. I just didn't think it would take so long to find out what _this_ was or what Jacob and I were doing.

Really, everyone knew what was happening except me. The women did not owe me an explanation. Jacob did. And it seemed like no one wanted to go behind _his_ back and say anything to me. It was as if _he_ was in charge of everything.

I jumped a little when I heard the garage door open. I tried steadying my now trembling hands, but it was useless. Would I always get this nervous seeing him? Would we ever have a normal relationship? Would we ever even _have_ a relationship? The thought saddened me...as it does every single day since I met him.

The door squeaked as the man I only knew as a stranger walked into the house. I didn't have to look up to know it was him. The air turned warm and a familiar scent filled my nostrils. Despite myself, I breathed him in slowly...that timber-like, fresh from outdoors scent I loved so much. It always amazed me that his smell could both calm me and alert me all at one time.

I felt his heavy feet walk pass me and into our bedroom. The only bathroom was inside our room. Our home was small, but comfortable. Jacob was big, but we had enough space to keep our distance from each other...that is what Jacob wanted after all.

As routine, Jacob started the shower and bustled about tearing his oil-stained work clothes off of him. I always had a hard time getting that oil smell off his overalls. I hated to clean them because they were so heavy and long. I smiled softly at the random thought. And as routine, I hear Jacob turn the shower off when he's done and I know I have about five or ten minutes at the most to have his dinner plate filled. I cooked his favorite meal: beef roast, potatoes, salad and warm dinner rolls in honor of _my_ birthday. Of course, it was hard to tell what his favorite food was when we first moved in together. He liked everything equally as much. And the man ate plenty enough, it was almost comical. But I could see his eyes flicker with specks of blue-white when he took his first bite of my pot roast that first time. I could hear him humming or purring as he ate. I almost laughed at the memory as I piled his plate high. Only a man can eat horribly and stay as fit as an ox, I guess. I shrugged nonchalantly and shook my head, oddly humored.

I sat down in my chair across from Jacob just as he came out the bedroom, clothed only in his favorite tatty blue jeans, still wet from shower. As routine, I am in awe of his beauty and at the same time, I am fearful of his intimidation.

I look down at my plate, not as loaded as Jacob's. I never had much of an appetite, really. I hear him sit down across from me and bite into his roast. His purring is soft and it relieves me, I think. I say I silent prayer before I eat and get the courage to glance at Jacob. He is paying no attention to me and he lookes agitated. I take a bite of my potato and smile softly as I chew.

"How was your day?" I ask after I swallow. My voice is scratchy from nerves and I take a sip of water.

He looks angrier that he's heard my voice. "Fine."

"That's good," I say in a friendly voice, trying to not be discouraged by Jacob's lack of communication. "Was your lunch ok? I knew you were running late so I grabbed as much as I could..." I let my voice drift off as I realized I was rambling with nerves.

He doesn't speak. I only hear him finishing off his food.

I eat a little and clear my throat awkwardly through the silence.

"Oh!" I realized, suddenly. "Your dad called. He wanted to know if you were coming down this weekend? They need help getting the chapel ready..."

His fist slammed hard into the wooden table, causing it to dent a little. My water glass spilled onto my lap before falling and shattering on the floor. I was frozen, horrified at his sudden outburst. I looked over at him in fear.

"Enough!" He hissed at me with eyes flashing. His anger was clear in his tone. Very clear.

"I. Don't," he paused for emphasis. "Want. To. Hear. Another. Word."

I nodded quickly, blinking rapidly. I was too afraid to cry so I just sat there watching him as he finished his food calmly, as if he never had even gotten angry in the first place.

When he was finished, he leaned back in his chair, legs spread in front of him and his arm draped across the back of the chair. He fingered his chin with his free hand as he looked back at me. He gave me a crooked grin, daring me to disobey him. I wasn't stupid and I kept my mouth shut. There was a power he held over me that made me want to do as he asked, no matter how much it hurt me. I can't explain it, the feeling. I don't know how to begin to explain it.

"What do you want me to say, Melanie?" He asked, narrowing his eyes at me speculatively. His question was not warranting an answer, but I already knew he wasn't expecting one.

"You want me to say that I'm sorry?" He sneered, smirking sarcastically.

I shook my head quickly.

"You want me to say that I'm fucking happy coming home to you?"

I sniffled, feeling rejected at his words. I willed myself to not break. I did not want to lose control in front of him, but my heart was sad from his cruelty.

_Ouch, Jacob. That really _really_ hurts, you know? _That is what I wanted to respond, but I knew it was forbidden to speak now.

He laughed shortly and reached into his pocket for his phone, never taking his eyes from me.

He pressed a number on his phone and put it to his ear.

"Mmm, yeah baby?" I heard a whiny female's voice on the other end.

"I'm coming over," he responded and hung up the phone. Eyes never leaving mine the whole time.

I could feel the corners of my lips twitch and pulling downwards into a sad pout, but I refused to break down in his presence. I closed my eyes tight and inhaled a deep breath. A tear slid down my cheek when I opened my eyes.

I saw Jacob swallow, a hint of emotion in his eyes that quickly disappeared before it even came.

"You think that you're hurt? You don't know _shit _about pain, Melanie," He whispered that last part roughly. I noticed him beginning to tremble and I leaned back in my chair, pushing myself further away from him.

"Have you ever had your heart broken? Have you ever wanted to fucking die because someone didn't love you?" He words were confusing. Was he talking to me or himself? He was looking at me, but he wasn't really _seeing_.

"Have you EVER had your freedom taken away from you? Have you?" He growled, balling his fists on the table.

I didn't answer. He would only get angrier if I disobeyed him and answered him.

How I wanted to hold him and tell him that I can be his friend if he'd only allow me to get closer to him. I wanted to make him better and happy, but he wouldn't let me. I think he saw me as a little girl sometimes instead of a woman. But _he _didn't see me as a little girl when he took my innocence those months ago.

Still...if he'd only just _see _me like he saw me that night we first met...when he first looked at me. I wanted that short, beautiful moment back so badly. Even if it were just for a second, I'd take it.

I didn't realize that my fingers had gently grazed Jacob's knuckles, until he jerked his hand away from my touch and looked at me with disgust.

He bit down on his lip hard and shook his head a bit before getting up from the table.

Without putting on a shirt, he walked out of the house and slammed the door shut behind him. I jumped at the force of the slam and the picture frame that was hung on the wall by the door dropped to the floor, breaking its glass frame.

I waited until I heard Jacob's truck pull out of the garage before I moved. He was gone in under a minute.

Shaking slightly, I slowly got up from the chair and picked up our dishes silently. I rinsed them and placed them in the dishwasher. I swept up the broken glass in the kitchen and cleaned the spilled water from the table and floor. When finished, I walked numbly to the main room and crouched next to the broken picture frame. A younger, happier Jacob stared back at me with a bright smile and long, glossy hair. In the picture with him was his mother, Sarah...whom I'll never know. I smiled, whistfully, at the happy Jacob for a few seconds before cleaning up the broken glass.

I turned the lights out in the kitchen and headed to the bedroom. I didn't bother to change out my jeans. I slipped my shoes off and slid into our king-sized bed, reaching over to flick the lamp off. I liked sleeping in the dark. It was peaceful to me.

My eyes were getting blurry in the dark as the thoughts I was trying so hard to distract myself from slowly surfaced.

Who was it that Jacob was going to see? How could he speak to her in front of me? It was obvious how he could...he didn't respect me at all. He didn't care about me or that he was breaking me. Why does he want to hurt me so bad? I just don't understand it. I can feel the aching pain rising in my chest, causing me to breath unsteadily. An ache that I can never get accustomed to because it kills me a little bit everytime it comes. It's the torture I receive from thoughts of leaving him...it reminds me that our bond, whatever reason for it, is so strong that it holds me to him. It seems like nothing can break it. Jacob must know this too. The only difference is that he is _trying_ to break it. He is doing whatever he can to crucify it...and _me_.

_I wonder if she's pretty._

I'm sure she is. She is no doubt more interesting than me with more womanly curves. She is probably everything that I am not and can ever be. If Jacob is happy with her, then that is where he should be. I closed my eyes tight and tried to hold back my tears...again. _I need to think about something happier so that I won't cry_. Jacob says I don't know what it's like to hurt, after all.

I think about last week when I was at Emily's. Leah came over and gave me a friendship bracelet. I remember smiling at her, grateful for her kindness. She told me that she probably wouldn't see me for my birthday and that she was giving me my gift early. I smiled, remembering. No one had ever given me anything like that before. It was from the heart and I appreciated it very much. Jacob was there when she gave it to me, too. I guess he forgot my birthday was today. It doesn't matter, though. It's just another stupid day.

I turned over on my side and stared over at the dark, empty spot where Jacob was supposed to be laying next to me.

I absentminedly fingered the gold band on my ring finger with my thumb. I grazed the stones as the flood finally spilled from my eyes. My lips trembled as my final routine of the day began to consume me-crying myself to sleep.

It was a beautiful ring that held plenty meaning to those who wore it before me. A beautiful rose-gold Victorian creation with a turquoise pearl. I remember when Jacob gave it to me. It was the only time I'd seen him nervous. It was far from romantic when he asked me to marry him. It was an obligation, his _duty, _for him to ask for my hand in marriage. And the magical force surrounding us told me that it was my duty to accept his offer. And so I did. Our wedding was planned by his family and friends with some wanted input from me, not that I was much help with my lack of experience. It would be a simple gathering next weekend. But everyday was a raging war with Jacob. His demeanor, his angry outbursts, and now his _cheating_ has put too much weight on me and I don't know how much longer I can stand on my own.

He told me before that his intentions would always be in my favor or his. I don't think that was true at all or he would be comforting me right now instead of in the arms of someone else.

I cried until I was tired enough to fall asleep.

"God," I whispered in the dark, "I need you now..."


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

**Jacob's POV**

Her long and perfect fingers grazed my chest softly and I imagined it was someone else. The woman who was currently lying under my arm hummed with content. I almost forgot she was even there since my head was so fucked up right now. I hated myself a little more every single time I made _her_ cry.

_Melanie_.

I had an obligation to my tribe, my brothers and Leah, and my family. _I _am the Alpha male. _I _am the next Chief of the Quileute. If the Alpha imprints, he must accept his faith for the tribe and the chosen mate must conceive his child and continue the chain for the next generation of Alphas. The most fucked up thing was that she had to be married into the tribe before she bared my child. I was the future Chief; I couldn't _not _marry my imprint. If I bared a child with another woman when I had an imprint, the chain would end and it would be my fault. How was I to not accept the fucking imprint? It's just the way it goes. Some warped shit that the Devil himself must have fucking created. The wolf made the choice for me and the man personally didn't give a fuck about her..._Melanie_. The man loved someone else and would always love that someone else even though she was a fucked up corpse now.

"I can't believe you weren't going to tell me that you were getting married, Jake," she whispered bitingly.

I sighed, impatient and tired. I glanced down at the woman draped across my chest.

_Semoline_.

The problem with Semoline was that she talked too much about nothing and she was selfish as fuck. She was certainly something to look at though. She was looking at me, trying to provoke any kind of a response from me. She was half-Makah with unusual gray eyes. Her long and silky black hair fell across my stomach and touched the sheets at my side. She was a high-end woman and knew how to please me when I wanted to be pleased. I am a man with needs and I couldn't even think about touching Melanie again after that first time I claimed her. I would feel too guilty and she was so young still. That day in the kitchen after I had mated my imprint, dad saw how the guys responded to her and he knew then that I had claimed her.

He was upset with me for tainting her purity, but he did not understand the power the imprint had over me. That night, I needed to let the wolf take control and mark her or I would have fucking died. There is nothing, mostly, that can cause me pain. Trying to abandon my imprint, however, hurt more than anything else ever could. I hated it and I would keep fighting it. I was sure I would never win against it in the end, but it only inspired me to fight that much harder. I was stubborn as hell, I already knew that. My dad warned me that I couldn't live in his home if I didn't accept Melanie's new role she played in my life. So, the day after I met her, I moved to Port Angeles.

"Don't call me that," I said to her. I knew she heard the threat in my voice, but she ignored it anyway. I was too tired to argue with her tonight.

I saw her roll her eyes and cluck her tongue against the roof of her mouth.

"Whatever, _Jake_. You could have told me. Clearly, you should have known I'd find out anyway. The future Quileute Chief getting married was bound to make the gossip rounds between the reservations sooner or later."

She pushed her naked body up and leaned over me, with both hands on either sides of my face. Her long hair brushed my nose. I ignored her and closed my eyes, pretending she didn't exist right now.

"I'm coming to your wedding, Jacob. I don't care if you like it or not. I mean, _shit_, this is a big deal around here you know?"

I didn't respond, just breathed steadily to calm myself down.

"And come on…_you_ getting _married_? _Fuck_ me…I feel for the poor girl," she said with a snort.

I clenched my fist. I guess blowing a fucking load in her mouth earlier wasn't enough to shut her up.

"Semoline," I warned, through clenched teeth. "Get up."

I heard her wicked snort and felt her sitting up slowly.

I didn't come here for talking. I never do. She knows that. She knows what I needed from her and knew I wanted nothing more. I discussed that with her before the first time we got together intimately. She willingly accepted. I think it gave her a self-esteem boost, not that she needed it, to be with a future _Chief_. We were from different tribes, but that high of position was respected among us all.

I climbed out her bed and started to get dressed. She was quiet at first, but I heard her getting up from the bed and walk behind me as I pulled my jeans over my naked hips. Her arms wrapped around my waist, her breasts pressing up against my back. I knew what she was asking for. It was her way of saying 'sorry for being a bitch'.

She slid my pants slowly back down my waist. I hadn't even gotten a chance to button them up. She moved slowly to my front, never letting her skin leave mine, and kissed down my stomach until she was kneeling before me. I looked down and watched her as she took me in expertly inside her mouth.

I sucked in my bottom lip and closed my eyes tight as I tilted my head back with pleasure. I consumed the pleasure now because I knew like every other time after I was with Semoline, my wolf would break free and punish me until I saw my imprint again.

I trembled violently the ride to La Push from Neah Bay-my wolf growling. I had provoked him. To the animal, the man was a traitor; the man was the enemy right now. As soon as I hit my territory, I almost ripped my truck in half inside out. I had to pull over on the winding road and jump into the trees. I was not able to remove my clothes in time. My body was hot from the rage that tore inside of me. I exploded into the animal and howled angrily into the darkened sky. My wolf cried the longest he had ever cried before. He was weakened with despair for his mate. He felt the pain that his mate was feeling at this exact moment. I no longer had the energy to run and I slowed down, air rushing into my lungs as I remembered to breath.

My legs gave way followed by my paws and my body buckled beneath me. I now lay in the middle of the forest like a dead carcass. I felt like I was waiting for death. My whimpers were sad coming from my snout and I could smell them coming—my pack. They would come to their Alpha and weep with him…with me. And they wouldn't leave until I was able to get up and walk away myself.

From my position on the ground, I saw their paws lay flat in front of them as they kneeled before me, one by one. Ten pairs of eyes glowed in the dark. They each lay around me watching me silently, forming a protective circle. Some were whining listening to my wolf cries. Others, like Leah and Quil, were growling quietly, angry.

When we were in our animal form, we were mostly feral and less human. It seemed, lately, that I was half man and half wolf no matter what form I was in. I could always feel what my friends were feeling, though. That's what made me a natural-born Alpha. I could hear Leah trying very hard not to lunge at me and sink her teeth into my flesh. She knew she would be punished if she did and it would be rightly justified as we are animals in this moment. You attack the Alpha and he will have his pack hold you down while he either hurts you badly or kills you. This is what is natural to us in this form. Being a female, didn't get you off the hook.

I lifted my head when I heard another set of paws make its way to our circle. The smell no longer belonged to my pack, but he was welcome nonetheless.

Sam was our previous leader and we all respected him for teaching us how to control our inner wolves and let him loose at the same time. When his wife and imprint, Emily, got pregnant, Sam was nearing thirty and he chose to stop chasing vampires so that he could chase around babies instead. He said he would leave the protecting to us now. The day he told us he was quitting, he looked me in my eyes and said that I was ready to take my rightful position in the pack as Alpha. He told me that I had been ready to lead since the first day I had phased. I think he was right about that.

My wolf was happy to accept his place as the leader, but the man knew that he would hurt after the shift of roles ritual was over. It is natural for wolves to fight each other for the Alpha position. Whoever falls is out. Whoever wins is the new Alpha. It is the same for shape shifters, only Sam willingly submitted himself for the fight—to give the rightful Alpha his crown. So, naturally, in our wolf forms, I attacked Sam until he was nearly dead.

I had won something that was already mine.

My wolf purred, bittersweet, at the memory.

Sam phased every now and then as he was still in the changing process of letting his wolf go. We're still learning from him in a way. It seems that if you make the choice to leave behind our wolf, it will take a long time for you to become fully man again. We don't know if we can ever be all man again after our wolf retires because we don't know anyone who has been through this other than Sam. I can see him aging again slowly and he's not as strong as he once was, but something tells me the wolf is always there—if he should ever need him.

I can no longer hear Sam while he is in wolf form because he doesn't belong with us anymore. As fucked up as that may sound, _this_ is natural for us.

I hear him phase into man, standing nude a few feet away from our circle. No one will attack him. He is no threat, especially human, and shares the same Quileute blood as the rest of us. Most importantly, he is our friend.

"Jake," he calls in a strong voice. "I came to talk to you. Phase back."

My ears perked up, curious at his words.

_Go home, _I told my brothers and sister, hoping that they caught the gratefulness in my tone. They each bowed their heads in acknowledgement and ran away, disappearing into the trees. I lifted myself from the ground and let the ripples course my veins as I phased back to man.

I saluted Sam with a gentle nod of my head and placed my hands on my hips.

I was exhausted, all of a sudden. I am rarely exhausted—neither as wolf or man.

"Sam. What are you doing here?" I asked him, my voice hoarse from my earlier cries.

"I heard your howls. Sounded like you were in pain so…" he paused and shrugged. "Like a friend, I'm here."

I wanted to smile, but it didn't want to form on my mouth. I just nodded with acknowledgement and he understood.

"You look horrible," Sam told me and I would have laughed if I could.

"Yeah," I told him. "I'm aware."

I knew I had dark circles under my eyes and just-fucked hair. Not to mention, all the other signs of stress. It is what it is.

We were both quiet as we formulated our thoughts. Sam spoke first.

"You need to sleep more. Take some time off, man. You're working too hard," he said and sat down on the wet ground overlooking the river below. He rested his arms around his bent knees and shook his head to himself.

"When are you going to accept your faith, Jacob?" He asked, almost too quietly.

"I'm here aren't I?" I retorted and crouched down near him, staring at a brown bear fishing his paws in the river below us.

"Yeah, you know what I mean."

I couldn't deny it. I knew exactly what he meant.

It's the reason why I was out here this time of night and dragged my pack here with me.

"Emily tells me that Melanie has this lovable quality about her that you can't help but to fall in love with her," he paused and I saw him look at me from the corner of my eye.

The bear was unlucky tonight.

"When are you going to get to know her so you can love her too?"

I pretended not to hear him and observed how the bear looked defeated and tired as he patrolled the river bank, waiting for some sign that a fish would come to the surface soon.

"I know you hear me, dude."

I didn't answer him as I focused in on the bear, now crouched tiredly near the water's edge. He seemed to be waiting patiently again. He suddenly lifted his head and swiped his large paw into the black water, only to somehow stumble forward and land in the water below him.

I heard Sam laughing. He caught it too. Somehow, I felt bad for the bear.

"That'll never happen, Sam," I spoke and finally looked at him, emotionless.

"I will never love her. I can't."

"Don't you know you already do?"

I smirked and ran my fingers into the dirt beneath me. "Nah…" I started to say, shaking my head in amusement. What the fuck was he smoking? "She's the wolf's imprint. He's the one who wants her, not me."

"You're wrong, man. That's your problem. You keep separating yourself from the wolf. The man and wolf are one in the same person. Don't you see it? You imprinted on Melanie. You are hurting because you want her so badly, but you can't let go of the person you think your heart wanted you to imprint on."

I grabbed the dirt beneath my fingers and angrily balled my fist around it.

"You're the one who is wrong, Sam. I feel nothing for her in my heart. She means nothing to me. She's some fucking kid who got unlucky enough to be imprinted on and dragged into this shit. She doesn't deserve this and neither do I," I said through clenched teeth.

"So you're going to punish her for that?"

I paused, calculating my next words before I spoke them.

"I'm going to do whatever it takes to break the strings connecting me to her."

Sam breathed in deeply and let out long breath.

I watched as the bear struggled against the strong current to find his grip on the rocks above him.

"Look at me, man. Here I am trying to shed the wolf and it's been two years now. He is _apart_ of me. I am _apart_ of him. We both want the same things because we are both the same. I love Emily. If I had never imprinted on her, I would have still found her."

I laughed, bitterly; still watching the bear as he finally stops struggling and pulls his dripping body from the river. He begins to limp away—clearly giving up on his early morning meal.

"You would've ended up with Leah. Not Emily. And we both know it," I tell him seriously, with a hint of humor.

I expected him to joke along with me and accept that what I'd said was true. But when he didn't respond, I just looked over at him. He had this long, thoughtful look come to his face and just stared up at the sky. It was like he was reminiscing on something.

He turned to me, looking somber.

"You'll figure things out, eventually, I guess."

With that, he got up, slapped me on the back and walked away. I heard him phase when he walked further into the forest.

I opened my palm and looked at the tiny, glistening crystals inside the dirt. I didn't believe for a second that I loved Melanie. I closed my eyes and willed myself to not think about _her. Bella. _Those chocolate brown eyes turned red, and my eyes shot open with anger.

I threw the dirt to my side and jumped out onto the ledge of the cliff, my body changing easily into wolf form. I made my way carefully down the rocks below and when I hit the ground, I ran fast, feeling the early morning air rush through my fur. It calmed me. I came to the edge of the river and jumped. My fear, my sadness—everything paused in time while my body seemed to fall in slow motion.

And then the water splashed around me and then surrounded me as I dove deeper, my legs navigating me with sheer speed. My sight was strong and I found what I was looking for easily in three short swipes. I quickly made it back to surface, paddling my way to the rocks. I knew I probably looked like a giant, wet dog when I jumped from the water and shook my fur out.

I slowly crept to the limping bear and dropped the three fish I held safely between my canines. I growled ferociously at his back to get his attention and he turned around quickly, preparing for battle.

_You've already won, _I growled and ran in the opposite direction towards my home. I didn't want to go there, but I didn't want to sleep in La Push tonight. I didn't want to face my dad with all my screwed up shit.

And on the way home is when I remembered her birthday. _Fuck_. No wonder Leah wanted to kill me.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

I heard her gentle breathing before I even opened the bedroom door. When I looked at her, sleeping peacefully, my wolf purred longing to lie next to her. The man was in control now. I couldn't be near her. It felt so wrong. I was marrying this young woman in a week's time and I knew nothing about her really. She was quiet, reserved, and respectful. She cleaned and cooked, took care of our home-that's all I knew and didn't give a shit about the rest.

I knew she was nervous to be around me and every time she felt alone or scared my wolf would yearn for me to touch her and comfort her. I never did. That is the advantage I have over the animal. I am stronger than him in human form—as far as I know anyway.

I jerked my hand away and stepped away from the sleeping girl on the too-big bed. How did I even get near her? I was about to stroke her soft, pale cheek with my palm without even realizing I had walked over to her.

I backed away, slowly, only lingering a few moments in the doorway still watching her. Her delicate brows pulled down a little as she slept and a short gasp fell past her sleeping lips.

_She must be dreaming, _I figured and turned away from her after a little while longer—dissatisfying the beast.

I closed the door gently and stepped into the main room. I'd be sleeping on the couch tonight. I pulled out the freshly laundered sheets from the cabinet near the TV and made my way to the large sofa. That is when I realized that I wasn't wearing any clothes.

_Fuck_ me, I thought and shrugged it off.

I wrapped the sheet around my waist and plopped down heavily on the sofa. I was so tired that I fell asleep in less than ten minutes, happy to rid my problems and have some peace for the next few hours.

**Melanie POV**

I was relieved when I woke up and saw Jacob sleeping on the couch. I figured that maybe he wouldn't have come home after…wherever he had been. He looked so peaceful in his sleep that I didn't want to disturb him. It was eight thirty and Jacob usually sleeps until ten on his days off. I went to the bedroom and showered and read a book for about two hours before going back in and checking on Jacob.

He was still asleep on the couch, his arm draped lazily under his head as he lay on his back. He must've been really tired from his earlier excursions. I rolled my eyes and trudged towards the fridge. My stomach was feeling tight and I couldn't wait on him to wake any longer. I was starving.

I toasted bread and made a turkey sandwich, there wasn't much left in the fridge and Jacob would need to take me grocery shopping soon.

I sat at the table and ate quietly. I heard the springs of the couch squeak and I looked up to see Jacob had woken up. He looked like he had a pretty rough night. I couldn't help being worried. He stood from the couch and I blushed when I saw he wasn't wearing any clothes. He caught my eye before I had time to turn away. I turned my head away quickly and bit my lip thoughtfully.

"Hey," he said, groggily and I looked up at him, shocked.

My response was stuck in my throat. Jacob rarely spoke to me, especially in the morning.

He laughed a bit and raised his eyebrows as he looked down at his…nakedness. He bent to cover himself with the sheet, not really affected by being nude.

I looked away again, still unable to speak. I concentrated hard on picking the burnt crust off my toasted bread. I was angry at him and I had a right to be.

"Happy late birthday," he said to me, not rudely, but not friendly either. He passed a hand through his disheveled hair and disappeared into the bedroom before I had a chance to thank him.

"Thanks," I murmured to his disappearing back.

I'd take that over nothing at all, I guess. I sat in the kitchen for awhile, just listening to the shower. Was he being more talkative today because of where he'd been last night? The thought made my lip tremble and I did not want to cry all over again. I was sick of crying all the time.

He owed me an explanation, but I knew I wouldn't get one. Everything was on _his_ terms. And I was too pathetic and too chicken to stand up for myself.

When the shower turned off, I stood from the table and sat on the windowsill, my favorite place in the house. It had started to rain out and I watched as the drizzle tapped the leaves with a relaxing rhythm. His fresh scent pleased me once again as he shared the same space with me.

I couldn't look at him. Not after last night.

"Do you want me to make you breakfast?" I asked, still looking out the window.

"Nah. I'm good," he said and I heard the cupboards opening and closing and cereal being poured into a bowl.

_Wow_, I thought. _He doesn't even sound regretful_.

"I was headed to La Push today. Need to get this wedding stuff done with."

He sounded like this _wedding stuff_ was nothing important to him at all—just another job. It felt like an afterthought to him.

I frowned, defeated.

"Ok," was all I said. He was in charge. Not me.

"Rachel wants you to come. Said something about finding a dress for you or something."

"Ok."

I knew nothing about weddings. I wasn't as excited about it as a normal woman would be, I suppose. I didn't know what I was doing. I never thought I'd ever even be getting married so young. I didn't think I'd ever want to get married period. I had seen men come in and out of my house growing up for years. Those men were disgusting and I thought all men were the same. The men in La Push weren't bad at all, though. They were complete gentlemen even as _raw_ as they looked sometimes. Except Jacob, of course…I wouldn't know. He never showed any kindness to me.

I wish I could just hide inside until the wedding on Saturday. I hated to let the ladies down when they seemed to be into this wedding more than myself. In fact, it seemed like most of La Push were interested in Jacob and I getting married. I remember going to the local store on the reservation with Emily and it seemed like everyone was looking at me or sizing me up or something.

"Jacob?" I asked, wondering about something I never thought about before.

"Yeah?" He answered, looking at me curiously as he dumped his bowl in the sink. His hair was still wet from the shower.

"Would I need a marriage license, you think?"

He gave a passive smile and considered my question.

"No. We, uh, have tribal laws. It's a bit different from state laws. The council officiates the ceremony. We'll both sign the certificate after our vows." He paused for a second. "Did you…I mean, you wanted to make it official _your_ way?"

I opened my mouth to speak, but wasn't sure if I understood in what context he was asking.

"Um, no. I guess not. I just figured I'd need to be a certain age I guess."

"No, you're good," he told me, simply. He seemed to get a little upset now.

"I wasn't trying to upset you. I'm sorry if I did…" I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. I didn't even know what I said, but I knew I didn't want to make him angry again.

"Nah, I'm fine," he came closer to me, moving to stand over me while I sat frozen and dumbfounded on the windowsill.

I was breathless, suddenly.

"Melanie," he started, watching me intently. "I know you're scared about this. I know you don't even want to go through with it."

I gasped quietly and shook my head quickly. "No. No, I am nervous about this, I won't lie. But something…something in _my soul_ is telling me that I need to make this official with you."

I touched the place where my heart beats in my chest and looked back at Jacob so he understood I meant what I was saying. It was true. I knew this had to happen.

"And I don't know how any of this makes any sense at all, Jacob," I whispered desperately.

He glared at me, but not necessarily so angry anymore. He looked very uncertain and pained. I could never really read his facial expressions well enough though.

"It's not what _you_ want…" he whispered more to himself. "Why are you nervous?"

I was confused by his change of topic so quickly. I stared up at him wide-eyed at first.

"Um, well…I—I don't know. Is there going to be like hundreds of people at this wedding? It seems like a lot of people are interested in it."

"No," he responded quickly and began to back away from me. "I can assure you that it'll be a small group of people."

"Nothing big," I heard him say.

I nodded and breathed a sigh of relief. "Ok."

"When did you want to take care of this legal matter of yours? I'd need to take some time off of work to bring you back to Idaho."

I thought for a second. He was talking about my emancipation matter. "Well, as soon as you can I guess. Would I need that taken care of before Saturday? It would probably take awhile to get a hearing."

He shrugged, he could care less. "No, we don't need all that. Tribal laws. You're sixteen now and that's consenting age on the reservation."

He paused and thought about his next words. "And we're sort of a special condition anyway, wouldn't you agree?"

I stared into his murky eyes as he watched me, his face strong and handsome. As he looked at me, little swirls of white moved inside of his eyes like they wanted to burst out onto the surface. His face remained expressionless, but his eyes told the story.

I couldn't agree more…

**Jacob POV**

I was due to pick Melanie up in an hour. She was at Emily's in La Push and I had just come back from a much needed run with a few of my pack brothers. Seth followed me as I made my way inside Billy's to find something to eat.

The first person I saw was Charlie. He was sitting with my dad on the couch. I furrowed my brows and looked at him curiously. I hadn't seen in at least a month or so and I know he kept himself busy at work to keep himself preoccupied at all times. We all knew the reason why.

"Dad. Charlie," I greeted the men. My dad looked up at me, worried. I glanced at Charlie and he stood up and approached me slowly.

His face was bright, cheery. I hadn't seen that look on him for a good three years, since we last heard from his daughter.

"Jacob, your big day is coming up soon isn't it?" He patted me on the back and I fought to sound as content as possible.

"Yep. Saturday still stands," I told him firmly.

"What brings you here?" I asked him, observing as the aging man fidgeted anxiously.

He laughed shortly and eyed me in all seriousness. "You won't believe who's home, Jake. You won't believe who came home…" Charlie whispered that last part, he sounded pained and relieved at the same time. The man was fighting to keep his emotions in check.

I took a moment to let it sink in what he was saying. He couldn't mean _that_, did he? She wouldn't come back here. She wouldn't let Charlie see her as the monster she was…would she?

I felt myself shaking again. The man, not the wolf.

It couldn't be…_she _was never coming back.

I almost shattered my teeth at how hard my jaw was clamped shut.

"Jake," I heard my dad warn.

My feet were moving before I could stop them.

"Jacob!" Seth yelled at me, trying to stop me from running out the door. I pushed him away from me in and heard him yell out in pain as he hit a wall somewhere.

My human feet were still bare as they carried me forward. I was passing trees by swiftly, feeling the branches scratching me on my face and arms as I whizzed by. I would heal.

And I _would_ heal…

Anger consumed my vision and I was blinded, but aware of where I was going. Those brown eyes kept turning red every time I tried to imagine her—the way she used to be. Her pale skin I had remembered was now even whiter and stone cold. No, _Bella_ wasn't coming back. Charlie was wrong about that.

This had to be a mistake.

I don't know when I burst through door of Charlie's house. I don't know how my nose didn't catch that scent that it hadn't smelled in over four years.

I walked cautiously up the stairs to the bedroom I hadn't been inside it for years…

I didn't open the door, I only waited. Why wasn't the beast ready to attack like he would be any other time I was near a bloodsucker? Why was he fucking failing me now?

And then her door opened. I fell to my knees before her as the emotions overtook my body at the sight of her.

Her cheeks were still rosy and her eyes were as chocolate as ever. I gasped when I felt the warmth of her hand hesitantly touch my cheek.

"Jake…" she said, tears in her voice. "Oh Jake…"

She threw her arms around me and I hugged her around the waist, pulling her closer to me.

Bella _was_ back. How could this be?

My wolf had indeed failed me.

When I looked inside of Bella's eyes…I felt nothing.


	5. Chapter 5

SoulMates  
Chapter Five

My reddened cheeks were still on fire from earlier activities. I stared at myself inside the bathroom mirror at Emily's and couldn't hide the tiny smile on my face as I washed my hands. The girl looking back at me was flustered and speechless and I reflected upon the evening.

Tonight was my _very-much-so surprise_ bridal shower. I think Jacob may have known what the ladies were planning for me because when he dropped me off, his eyebrows were lifted comically and he whispered a "good luck." I walked into the home to find both familiar and unfamiliar faces swirled together with huge smiles and applauding. There were balloons, confetti, and streamers in shades of the rainbow strewn all across the home. I was bewildered, saddened, and happy all at once. Jacob's sisters were both there, Rebecca and Rachel. I think I can almost tell them apart after seeing them both side by side for the last few hours. Rebecca is a bit taller than Rachel, but other than that, the girls are as identical as can be. Leah's mom, Sue Clearwater, and a few relatives and friends of the Blacks were also in attendance. It was nice to meet my soon-to-be family, but I was embarrassed when someone asked how Jacob and I met.

This is what I was afraid of. It seemed members of the tribe knew how Jacob and I met and accepted it, but outsiders wouldn't understand it if I told them how we really met. I barely understood myself. They'd think I was crazy and foolish and they would probably be right about that. This particular woman was a friend of Rachel's, a co-worker.

"We, um…we met in the rain," I told the woman. My answer seemed to satisfy her because she gushed how adorable that was. I mean, it was true after all.

Of course, the embarrassment didn't end there. After we had eaten the most delicious finger foods prepared by Emily, we were escorted outside to the backyard where we played a few silly games that had everybody, even myself, laughing until tears rolled down our faces. We played Purse Raid, where Rachel would call out certain objects such as lipstick, comb, and even a condom! The person who pulled out most of these items called on the list would win a prize. I didn't carry a purse, but I was allowed to assist Rachel with the game and it was still hilarious. The day was winding down after the games and I was happy to have the attention off of me as I never liked it much. Of course, that was until the gifts arrived.

It was Leah who handed me the first delicately-wrapped box. I wasn't expecting gifts at all and I felt awful accepting it when Jacob and I weren't even in love. I felt like a joke, to be honest.

"Leah, you didn't have to," I said to her softly and gave her a shy smile.

Leah shooed my comment away and giggled. "I wanted to, Mel. I love you, girl. We all do. This is just a welcoming gift…you're apart of us now."

I almost cried at that. These really were a great group of women. They really made things so much better and easier for me here.

I felt awkward opening the gift in front of everyone. I was just going to put the box to the side and wait until I was home to open it, but apparently that is not the way it goes at a bridal shower!

My lips parted with a quiet gasp in awe and shock at the tiny garment that lay inside.

The ladies all laughed at my shyness and speechlessness. I guess it was funny though, but I was mortified.

"Jacob is going to tear this right off of you, I can assure you that!" Emily exclaimed and they all giggled as I continued showing the ladies my new gift.

_If he'd want me, _I thought to myself.

The white garment was a ruffled chemise with lace cups. It was very beautiful and not too revealing. I felt bad secretly knowing I wouldn't wear it. It wasn't me to try and be sexy. I had no idea how to be a turn on. Besides, Jacob wouldn't touch me. He already said so months ago. I was too timid around him anyways. Still, I appreciated the gift. It didn't end there either. I received a few more sexy gifts and a few low-key gifts and the night was wrapping up now.

I splashed cold water on my face to cool my cheeks before I headed back into the main room. I exited the bathroom after reminiscing on the night.

Only a few of us remained at Emily's now. Rebecca, Rachel, Leah and I offered to clean up. I was in the kitchen, rinsing a bowl out, when Rebecca came in holding something behind her back. I narrowed my eyes suspiciously at her and she laughed.

"I promise it's not anything embarrassing! I don't want to think about you and my brother that way, _fortunately_."

I giggled quietly.

She handed me a small, brown box wrapped in only a single string. I smiled up at her before I opened it.

I stared at the beautiful pendant inside with awe as she spoke.

"Our tribe is very fond of the wolf. We believe the wolf is our protector, but he is also a destroyer. He is created for those two reasons. He is wise, he is mighty, and he is observant. And we…_well_, we are not like the wolf at all. _We_, as humans, are not so wise, we're indecisive, blind creatures. But there is a spirit wolf inside us all that wants to be freed. We just have to find him. And, as women, our jobs are never easy and it's even harder for us to search the wolf inside. We are emotional, we are not as strong, we are weaker than man overall. But let me tell you something, Melanie…we are also stronger than man because he needs us to survive. We are queens. And you…you have more importance in this life than you think."

I blinked through blurry eyes as I watched the pendant.

A round, golden circle. Inside the circle, sat a small furry wolf staring admirably up above him. His mouth formed into a howl and a crown in his sights.

"Queen of wolf…" she whispered.

"Welcome to the family, my beautiful little sister…" Rachel whispered to me and hugged me as if she had known me forever. I'd never felt as welcomed as I did now.

It was nearly midnight and I sat on Emily's porch waiting for Jacob's arrival. I had no idea where he could be and no one had heard from him. Sam, Paul, Embry, Quil, Colin, and Brady had come over after the bridal shower was over to help 'clean up' the leftovers. I expected Jacob to be with them, but when I didn't see him in the backyard with the rest of the guys, I got worried.

My breathing had suddenly become heavy as I felt the heaviness in my heart that I only feel when _I _was having thoughts of leaving _him. _I wasn't thinking about leaving today though and I didn't understand why I was suddenly having the pain. Leah had stayed with me to wait and worried when she caught my expression. I just shook it off and said I had a little headache. Now we both sat waiting in silence.

Emily had fallen asleep and I told Rachel and Becca that I was ok and they didn't have to stay up with me. I knew the ladies were tired from spending all day preparing for the shower. Leah, however strangely, showed no signs of weariness. The woman always looked so radiant and strong. I looked up to her a lot. She shooed me away when I told her I was fine.

"We have a meeting tonight anyway," she said, with a bored expression, leaning back on her elbows as we sat on the steps.

"Oh? What sort of meeting?"

Leah just closed her eyes and hesitated a little. After a moment, she shrugged.

"Just a short council meeting with some of the tribe. That's why the guys are here," she said.

_Lie, _I concluded_._

"Ok," I said to her and turned away. It was clearly not any of my business. Maybe it was a secret meeting of some sort. I wondered if I'd be included on these meetings once I married into the tribe.

"Man, what the hell is taking Jake so long? He's such an ass to keep you waiting like this," Leah whispered, frustrated.

I chose not to agree with her. Didn't need anyone thinking there was trouble in paradise when we were getting married Saturday.

"He's probably on his way, I'm sure," I said quietly, distracted.

"Right," Leah retored, unbelieving.

"Well, he's not at Billy's so I don't know where else he can possibly be," I said, more to myself. I called Billy's a few hours ago, but he told me Jacob had left. He didn't know where to, though. The way he sounded was sort of strained , but I didn't think Billy would ever lie to me.

Suddenly, Leah leaned up off her elbows and eyed the dark road in the distance. I saw her nostrils twitch a little—something I've seen Jacob do a few times. Did something not smell right?

I eyed the road and saw a dark figure jogging towards the house. I thought it was Jacob, but as the guy grew closer I noticed he wasn't as tall or as big as Jacob.

"Brother," Leah said, her brows furrowing with worry.

I looked back towards the road and noticed it was a shirtless Seth. He was bandaged heavily on his back.

"What the hell happened to you?" Leah asked, confused as she checked her brother out when he got in front of us. I stood up also.

"I'm fine, Leah. Just, uh…nothing." Seth had started to say something, then realized I was here and changed his mind.

Leah noticed.

"I take it Jacob's not here. I came for the meeting."

"No, no one knows where he is," Leah said to her brother, eyeing him suspiciously.

He exchanged a look with Leah.

I noticed both of their nostrils flare up and look towards the road. Headlights could be seen in the distance. I knew those headlights anywhere. There were many nights I sat in the living room, waiting nervously for those headlights to be seen coming down the driveway.

"Speak of the devil…" Leah said, her nostrils sniffing as if they were searching for something. She looked outraged and disgusted. It made me worry what was wrong with her.

"Leah…"

I lightly touched her shoulder and she jerked away, heading in the direction of the truck. Her eyes were blazed with anger.

"Leah!" Seth warned his sister.

Too late.

Jacob hopped from the truck and was just slamming the door shut when Leah attacked him.

It all happened so fast, I wasn't sure what the hell happened at first.

The men came storming out of the house, waking Emily in the process who looked confused and blurry-eyed at whatever was happening.

Sam tried to push me in the house with Emily, but I wasn't having it.

I noticed Jacob wiping something…blood….from his face and then glaring calmly at Leah.

"Jesus…" I whispered, fearfully. Leah had hit Jacob hard in the face.

His grin was lopsided and evil.

"Let her go," Jacob sneered, watching Leah's every move. She was currently being restrained by her brother and Paul. They looked like they were struggling to hold her up.

At Jacob's request, they released her and Seth looked like he was torn.

"I smell her on you, you fucking traitor!" Leah hissed at Jacob, her fists balled up and taking a menacing step towards Jacob.

_Oh my God…did Leah know?_ How did Leah know that Jacob was cheating on me? I felt so embarrassed and so hurt that he would do this to me again. Stand me up because of her? How could he be so cruel?

I felt my lower lip tremble and I tried, so desperately, not to cry. The first tear slid down my face and I sniffled to restrain myself.

"Stand your ground," is what I hear Jacob snarl at Leah.

He began circling around Leah, predatory. I thought I heard him growl at her once. She had her face down in a submissive stance as he circled her.

"You want to attack me as woman. I will attack you back as man. Understood?" Jacob asked her, not really caring about her answer.

"Yes."

"Yes, WHAT?" He shouted at her so loudly, causing me to jump a bit.

"Yes, Alpha," she said between clenched teeth.

I saw Seth turn away, but he didn't leave. I was truly afraid of Jacob, more than I ever was before.

"All eyes on us," Jacob hissed at the men, as if he sensed that some of them were not looking.

When I looked into his eyes, they were grey-white and I knew Leah was in trouble.

I had never seen him so angry before.

What was he going to do to her? He wouldn't really hit her would he? Was he really that mean of a person?

Just as I thought that, I noticed he closed in on her until he hovered above her. His mouth was formed in a ferocious growl and he lifted his arms as if he was about to destroy her in some way. I saw Leah flinch and it was the first time I had ever seen her scared of anything.

It made me angry and sick to my stomach of him.

Just as he closed in, I clenched my fist and ran over to him quickly.

"No! Stop it! Stop it right now Jacob!" I screamed at him angrily.

No one stopped me from charging him.

I pushed him hard to try and back him away from her. He didn't budge because I wasn't strong enough to actually cause force, but at least he was focused on me now instead of her. His face was sweaty, his eyes blue-white and distant as he watched me pushing at him with all the strength I had.

My eyes were so wet; I couldn't see a thing after awhile.

"Don't you dare hurt her…don't you dare…" I cried, weary and too tired to push anymore. I collapsed to the ground on my knees and hunched over, gasping for air.

There was a few seconds of complete silence before I felt a hand in my shoulder. It was Leah.

She knelt in front of me and hugged me to her chest as I cried.

"Shh…it's ok, sweetie. I'm fine. I would've been fine…" she whispered, and I was so confused by her wording.

"Leave," I heard him whisper to whomever. And I felt Leah hesitate, but slowly begin to push away from me.

The nerve of him!

I still knelt on the ground, focusing on catching my breath. I used the back of my hand to wipe away the tears. All I heard was slow, thick breathing from Jacob as he tried to calm himself down, I guess. His breathing scared me…it was too carnal. It wasn't human-sounding.

Feet scurried about around me and a door closed. It was quiet now. Only Jacob and I remained now. It amazed me to see that people actually listened to him and followed his commands. Then again, I realize sadly that I do the exact same thing.

Did I really see what I was seeing? Jacob about to hit Leah who was ten times smaller than him? The pain in my heart was overwhelming me as I fought the urge to leave him again. I didn't want to marry this person. He wasn't….good.

My tears subsided after all of ten minutes and Jacob's harsh breaths had become lessened. I was afraid to look at him. I was repulsed at how little respect he had for me and his friends. To show up at Emily's with all his friends waiting, and knowing I'd be here, smelling like _her. _Surely, I couldn't smell a thing, but Leah could smell it on him. We were about to marry. The most he could do is try a little harder at hiding his affair.

I whimpered one last time and was left weak and sickened with betrayal. I felt even more disgusted with myself because I knew I couldn't leave. My soul would not allow it.

I felt the heat lifting me up and carrying my body under the darkened sky. I watched the stars flicker above until they disappeared and I was placed inside the cab of Jacob's truck.

Sam came out the house and yelled to Jacob about the gifts I had left inside. I heard as he accepted them and exchanged awkward good-byes with Sam. I listened as he moved around to the driver's side and jumped in next to me. I still refused to look at him.

It was silent for a moment and I would almost think that maybe he wanted to apologize or _something_, but he didn't.

Of course not.

He breathed out shakily and started his truck and we left La Push behind us.

It was an uncomfortable ride from La Push to Port Angeles. The radio was playing, but I wasn't paying any attention to it. The tension in the cab was as thick as Jacob's ego. I chanced a small glance at him when he stopped the truck in front of the local grocery store. He looked as if he was in much more pain than I had been in when we left La Push. His big hand rubbed his chest soothingly for a second while his eyes remained closed tightly. He opened his eyes and just stared out the windshield expressionless. I guessed that he was all better now. I turned away from him and sighed quietly. I was not in the mood to go grocery shopping this late, but we really didn't have much left in the house.

Without waiting on him any longer, I opened my door and started to hop out the truck. Before I could reach my feet on the ground, I felt Jacob's grasp on my arm. I looked back at him quickly with alarm. His grasp hurt, but I don't think he realized his own strength. I winced and he loosened his grip.

His eyes were dark and he looked exhausted. "Don't _ever_ interfere when I get like that…do you hear me, Melanie?"

His tone was quiet, but authoritative. I felt that he was reprimanding me as if I was a child. I could also tell that he was holding himself back from being too angry.

I was grateful for that. I did not want to see him as he was tonight with Leah. I nodded my head quickly and was relieved when he let me go. He got out of the truck and waited for me to follow him. I sighed and followed him in the store. Did it mean that Jacob was expecting on having more of his mental breakdowns if he was warning me to not interfere again?

I tried not to think too much into it as I shopped. I just wanted to get in and out and hide in my bed. We shopped quietly. Well, I mostly shopped. I'd become familiar with what Jacob likes. He doesn't give me a budget when it comes to food. He usually just follows me from a distance while I pick out what we need. I'd never been more grateful for the distance between us.

We were pulling up to our small home in less than an hour.

"You go on in, I'll unload the truck and unpack the groceries," he told me before opening his door. I couldn't argue with that. I was physically and emotionally drained.

I went in and made a beeline for the bathroom. I shut the door behind me and looked at my reflection. I was sixteen and looked forty. My dark hair was tousled and I had dark circles under my eyes. Stress was eating away at me.

I guess I was part to blame. I grew up way before my time. I was an adult way before I even met Jacob Black.

For the second time that day, I splashed cold water on my face to keep me alert a little. I left the bathroom and headed straight for my nightwear drawer in the bedroom. I could hear him in the kitchen putting the food away. I wondered if he would sleep at home tonight or if he'd sleep elsewhere. The thought had saddened me all over again. What idiot woman would marry a man like this? Whatever this invisible bind is that keeps me trapped with Jacob has to be broken.

Once I dressed in my nightgown, I lay in bed and stared at the ceiling. My hands were clasped on my stomach, on top the covers. I always got nervous during bedtime because it was such an intimate moment sharing a bed with a man. Jacob was my first everything. My first relationship, if that's what it even was, my first roommate/bedmate, my first orgasm...

I blushed at that, even through my agony.

The only thing we had not done was kissed. Everything was backwards with us. I didn't understand it, but I accepted it.

I wondered how his lips would feel for that first time. Surely, we'd have to kiss on our wedding day. And that night? Would we honeymoon and make love?

I laughed wryly. Love? There was no love between us. Only obligation to fulfill and for what reason, I didn't know. I only trusted my heart. We didn't know each other and Jacob wasn't interested in even trying. I wasn't a woman to him. That is why he looked elsewhere for someone to meet his needs.

I was sure of it.

I stiffened when I saw his tall silhouette in the dark room. I didn't leave a lamp on because I noticed over time that Jacob could see perfectly well in the dark and I think he preferred not to see me.

I saw how he removed his shirt and jeans slowly, without even bothering to change in the bathroom. He was so confident and beautiful to watch…he was everything that I was not.

I closed my eyes and lay on my side, facing away from where he would lay eventually. I must say, I was a little relieved that he didn't sleep on the couch again or in someone else's bed.

Our impending wedding must have had him playing the role of husband.

My heart began to race as he lay behind me. His warmth cocooning me even without having him touching me. We lay in silence and I was sure he wasn't asleep just as much as I wasn't.

Out of habit, I twiddled my fingers in front of me to keep my mind off of being in close proximity to Jacob.

"This will all make sense soon, Melanie. I promise," Jacob whispered huskily, breaking the silence.

I wasn't sure what he meant by that.

"What is it you're speaking of?" I stuttered nervously, my voice breaking.

"Us. Why you're here with me and why you can't leave."

I was taken aback, yet grateful for his assertiveness.

"I, umm….I don't know what to say, Jacob. I'm confused, yes. But is that how you feel? Like you're stuck with me?" I was speaking too low and wasn't sure if he heard me. I half hoped he didn't, just so I couldn't hear the hurtful truth.

He didn't say anything at first. I guess he was debating his words carefully.

"Yes," he whispered, blandly.

My hurt broke and I became teary eyed.

I weeped quietly to myself for a few minutes. Jacob was so still that I thought he had maybe went to sleep on me until I heard him sigh softly.

"Turn around and look at me," he ordered, but gently. I didn't want him to see me cry. I didn't want him to know that he hurt my feelings.

"Turn around before I'm forced to do it for you, Melanie," Jacob growled at me quite threateningly. And I obeyed, as pathetic as I was.

I bit down on my lower lip hard and turned my body over to my other side. I faced Jacob cowardly and kept my lip captive, looking at him with wide eyes.

"I like how you listen, I must admit that," he told me, chuckling to himself.

I didn't find this amusing.

"I forget how old you are sometimes. I have to catch myself from being too hard on you…" he let his voice trail off and I was too shocked to say anything. I narrowed my eyes at him with that last statement. He was being hard on me already, how could he think he wasn't?

"_Trust_ me, I could be harder," he informed me darkly as if hearing my thoughts.

That's all the explanation I needed really. He was heartless.

I couldn't help feeling sorry for this man. I watched his handsome face watching me. His smirk now gone and replaced with a frown the longer I look at him..._searching_ him.

"You were happy once," I said to him in a cowardly voice. "I know this by the stories I hear from Emily and Leah."

Jacob looked surprised I had even offered words. He changed his expression to emotionless again quickly.

"Oh?"

I nodded quickly. "What happened to you?" I asked, slowly.

He glared at me, amused. Then his eyes flashed with hate.

"_You_," he spat out angrily.

I bit my lip again and felt it quivering.

"Listen, Melanie. You may think of me as you wish. I don't give a good fuck. You are mine, though and no one else can have you. I am your boss, your master, your fucking mate for life. You will have to learn to accept it."

I could feel my blood boiling as I watched this man before me. I bit my tongue and gripped the sheet hard in my hand at my chest. I had enough of being antagonized these last few months and I began to test how far I could challenge him.

"And what about you? Won't you learn to accept it as well? Whatever this is? Why just a one-way street? You're the one openly having a relationship with another woman. What happened to you doing things to benefit me? Remember saying that? I don't see how cheating has anything to do with helping me." I was definitely challenging him now.

"_You_ belong to _me_, I don't belong to you. Don't ever fucking question me again. You don't want to fuck with me like that." His tone was fiery and I stuttered with worry for my well-being. However, I didn't stop, amazing even myself. I was provoking him and I knew I needed to end this argument before it became worse.

"Why should I be afraid?" I whispered fearfully.

He smiled darkly. "Because you can't leave me. You have no choice, but to accept the way things are with me. I can handle the physical pain, _you_ can't."

"How do you know that I hurt?" I wanted to know, amazed at his confession.

He paused, thoughtful for a moment.

"Because I feel it too. I feel your emotions even from a distance. I know when you're tired, when you're sad, angry…" he licked his lips quickly and added, "when you're aroused..."

I gasped and turned away from him-embarrassed. I shook my head with denial at what he was saying. He was lying, wasn't he? No one could feel what someone else was feeling. And I never get aroused anyway! I was too afraid of him to think of him in that way.

Jacob remained silent, but I could feel the stupid smirk on his face.

"You're not as quiet as I thought," he mused. I jumped when his warmth was suddenly right behind me and his breath in my ear. "You might want to watch that tongue of yours, though. I won't always be this restrained," he warned, stilling too-close behind me for a moment and then slowly backing away from me.

I shivered and held the sheets tightly around me.

One day, he would get what he deserves.

~.~.~.~.~.

**Jacob's POV (a few days later...):**

"You ready, son?" Billy called out to me while I still sat on my old bed back in my room in La Push. My head was screwed up. Last night was my so-called bachelor party at my dad's. I drank a few bottles of Everclear with a few of my brothers. Only the strong alcohol could really help me get a buzz. I needed something to take my mind off my pending nuptials. Now all I got was a bad headache and even more thoughts of Bella. I hadn't seen her since our unexpected reunion. Our last meeting replayed in my head...

_Bella hugged my head close to her still-beating heart. Her scent that I had cherished for so long, now only smelled like every other female. Only Melanie's remained distinct and branded in my head. I growled out with fury. Bella, so beautiful and mortal, had returned and though I was happy, I was even more disappointed. I don't know how long Bella and I stayed wrapped in each other. I could feel her warm tears splash on my skin every now and then as her face was pressed atop my head. I eventually stood slowly and carefully grasped her chin between my fingers to look at her. To know that she was real. _

_She let me look her over, understanding what I wanted. _

_"Bella..." I muttered. _

_"Jake...Jake, I'm here. I-I missed you. I missed my dad. I missed my life that I took for granted." _

_I couldn't sympathize with her. A wall was built around my heart and even Bella couldn't knock it down. I fought the urge to respond to her the way she truly deserved. _

_"I can't believe you're here," I whispered hoarsely, wiping a tear that had fallen down her soft cheek._

_"You don't hate me do you?" she had asked me, lip quivering with the thought of rejection. Rejection, I'm sure, was something Bella Swan wasn't used to. My initial shock began to be replaced by anger now._

_"Why would I hate you, Bella? Oh, let me see...You fucking left years ago without a word. You left your dad, you left me...we were all worried sick about you and you didn't give a shit about the hurt you caused."_

_Her brown eyes were wide and hurt from my words. _

_"J-Jake...I had to leave. I was in love with Edward and I needed time away with him...time away _from_ him," she added softly._

_I narrowed my eyes at her. The old Jacob would have immediately rushed to soothe her and make her feel like she had nothing to feel bad about. I was trying hard not to be a dick with her, but I was too angry at how fucked up my situation was right now._

_"I waited for you..." was all I said to her. "Waited for you to come back. I longed for this day for so long, Bells."_

_Her eyes shined when I spoke her nickname._

_My hand reached up to caress her cheek. Just as her eyes began to drift closed and lean in closer to my touch, I pulled away._

_"I'm getting married in a few days, Bella."_

_She stilled and looked at me, her pink lips parted with shock. _

_I looked her directly in her eyes._

_"I imprinted," I hissed between clenched teeth._

_Bella quickly hid the frown she was beginning to bare and smiled too big. It was clearly artificial and for my benefit. _

_"Wow, Jake," she said softly and gave me a quick hug. "I can't believe you found someone..."_

_I knew she didn't mean it the way it sounded, but it still rubbed me the wrong way._

_"What? You think you're the only one who can find someone?"_

_"N-no! That's not what I meant, Jake. I just...you imprinted? That's a big deal...and I'm just so surprised, I-I mean, Charlie didn't mention this to me. About you getting married."_

_I just nodded my head slowly, clamping my jaw tight. I hadn't even realized I balled my fists up in anger. _

_"Why..." Bella began slowly and took a deep breath. "Why, then, do you look sad?" She reached up to run her fingers through my hair, as she used to do, effectively calming me a little._

_I swallowed. "It's not what I wanted. _She_ is not what I wanted..."_

_"Oh Jake, I hate seeing you like this. I thought imprinting would make you happy, like Sam and Emily."_

_"Well, you thought wrong. I don't have any choice in this. I've already marked her as mine. The fucking date is set in stone. I'm marrying her for the benefit of the tribe and to ensure my heredity carries on for the next generation."_

_I looked down at the floor, shoving my hands in my pockets. _

_"My life has been screwed up since the day I was born, Bella. With my mom passing, my dad's illness...you," I paused for emphasis. I didn't care how I hurt her feelings right now. "I suffered too long and now I will suffer for the rest of my life tied to a girl that my damn wolf picked out for me."_

_I looked back at Bells and saw her eyes tear again._

_"I don't need your pity," I spat at her and began to turn to leave before I said something I would regret later._

_I felt her tiny hand envelope mine as she attempted to pull me back towards her._

_"Let me help you, Jake..." she whispered to me, in a gentle voice._

_I turned back to her, not understanding how she could possibly help me now. _

_"Let me make you feel better..." she said to me, her tone flirtatious and hesitant at the same time. _

_My wolf growled at me with defiance as I stared at Bella in shock, imagining what she was offering to me._

_Was I hearing what I think I heard? Sweet, innocent Bella..._

_"Come here..." she whispered as she led me further in her bedroom and closed the door behind us._

My thoughts were interrupted when I heard my dad call out to me again, this time from inside my room.

"Son, it's time to go. You're getting married today."

I breathed out a long sigh and rubbed my tired eyes.

Fucking fantastic.

_~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~_

**_Melanie's POV:_**

A spring wedding at the old chapel near La Push beach. The sun was shining with cloudless skies. How could a wedding day be any more perfect than that? I was shaking with nerves. I wore an elegant, yet simple white dress. Rachel helped me pick it out weeks before the wedding. It was fitting for a traditional, Quileute ceremony yet flattering for a "young woman" as Emily put it.

It was floor-length, short-sleeved with a V-neck made from Chiffon. There was a delicate amount of beading under the bustline. It was simple and I loved it.

I paced nervously around the tiny building behind the chapel where everyone was waiting.

"Mel, relax. You look so beautiful. Jacob is going to be speechless when he sees you," Emily said to me, trying to get me to calm down.

"You're sweating your make-up off, Melanie. You wouldn't want me to have to redo it all over again right?" Gyla asked, holding up the make up brush threateningly.

I shook my head immediately and stood in front the mirror. Glya, friend of Rachel's, was a hair stylist and make-up artist. She did wonders on me, I had to admit. But she took hours and I was already too nervous to sit still.

My hair was pulled from my face, something I never did. A tasteful bun sat at the nape of my neck. My cheeks were rosy, though I doubted I needed any make-up to make that happen, my eyes were simple with neutral and shimmery shades topped with mascara to make my eyes seem bigger. My lips were the shades of red roses. I couldn't believe how nice I looked.

I was actually getting married eight and a half months after meeting Jacob. My soul felt at peace going through with this, but my mind was out of control. I was going to meet this man at the altar and we hated each other.

I laughed out loud and soon couldn't stop the giggles. I laughed until tears rolled down my eyes, which made the women in the room laugh too-which made me laugh even harder.

"That's the spirit, Melanie! Get excited about your wedding day. Jacob is one tall drink of water you snagged!" Gyla said, patting me on the back. She really didn't have a clue.

My tears of laughter turned into real tears of sadness. My mascara wasn't waterproof either.

"Oh, Melanie..." Rachel said and dabbed my eyes with tissue she kept on stand-by. Funny how I thought I wouldn't need it.

"I'm sorry...I m-messed up my m-makeup," I sputtered, feeling like a wuss.

"Oh, shhh, honey. It's ok," Gyla said to me, trying to hide the perplexed look on her face. She was thinking I was nuts about now, I was sure.

"I'm fine...I am ok..." I whispered, taking deep breaths to gather myself.

I looked warily at the group of women assembled in the tiny room. Leah watched me, troubled and uncharacteristically quiet.

"Umm...c-could I maybe be alone? Just for a few minutes...please?" I asked the women. They all smiled brightly at me and nodded.

"Of course, Melanie. We'll go and make sure everything is all set and ready to start. We'll be back for you in a few minutes ok?"

I nodded, grateful for their understanding.

I stood in the middle of the room for a few moments gathering my thoughts and the courage I needed to go through with this. I knew that this had to be done and I couldn't wait for the explanation I so desperately was seeking. Magic did indeed exist and I was apart of it. I had come from nothing with no one to love me. Now, by some weird voodoo, I'm getting married to the most handsome man I have ever seen. Unfortunately, it wasn't a fairytale like it sounded. Would I rather run away now, and save myself the disappointment of how Jacob and I's story ends? Or do I follow my heart and stick through it for better or worse...more worse than better, I think.

I'm only sixteen. What about college? Was Jacob capable of compromising? I couldn't just give up on school. I was a good student. I made all A's since junior high school. What would my life be as a wife so young? It'd be easier if love was involved and if I had a husband who cared about me.

Instead all I get is pain when I think about leaving. It wasn't the type of pain that I could live with either.

I didn't have a choice in the matter. I had to become his wife and just see where the road would take us together.

I mean, wasn't everyone capable of change?

A knock at the door startled me and I prepared myself for walking down the aisle.

"Come in, Rachel..."

"It's me, Billy." I smiled at the familiar voice and rushed to pull the door open.

Billy smiled at me so brightly as he wheeled himself in, that I had to smile back.

"Such a pretty young woman, you are," he said to me and I blushed, hiding my face.

"You make a beautiful bride."

"Thanks, Billy. I really appreciate everything you've done for me. You made me feel like family. All of you guys have," I told him from my heart.

He nodded, his smile waning a bit. "Melanie, I'm sorry that you didn't get a chance to meet the true side of my son."

I stared at Billy, unable to respond.

"I promise you one day you will meet him," his voice broke and I held back sobs watching Billy trying not to break down.

I leaned down and hugged him tight.

"I know you don't have family here, but I'd like to walk you down the aisle, Mel. You are my daughter, after all."

I smiled through blurry eyes and pulled way from Billy slowly.

He took my hands in his and I said, "I'd love it if you walk me down the aisle. I was really nervous about walking alone."

We both laughed a little and I took a deep breath, knowing it was probably time to head out. The wedding would be starting soon. I peeked out the small window and could see a few people running into the chapel at the last minute. I twiddled my fingers and gasped when Rachel came through the door.

"It's time..."

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.

**Jacob's POV:**

I stood at the front of the tiny chapel, next to Quil Atearea Sr and Sue Clearwater, the councilmen chosen to officiate the wedding and witness the future Chief wed his imprint. I looked around and all the seats were taken. There were people standing along the walls and even people outside trying to witness this historic moment. I tried downplaying how big this event was to Melanie so that she wouldn't be so nervous. Truth was, I really didn't think all these people would actually show up. I could feel her anxiety from where I stood.

She was even making me nervous, but I played it well. I stood tall, as a Chief and Alpha would. My black suit fit well and Seth stood behind me, ready to serve as my personal witness.

I surveyed the crowd and found Semoline seated on the right side. She was wearing a tight, white dress, with gold embellishments. She looked like a Goddess, but she already knew that. She licked her lips seductively at me when we made eye contact. I turned my gaze away from her, knowing she was trying to play with me on purpose. And wasn't there some rule that women shouldn't wear white or something on someone else's wedding day? Leave it to Semoline to dodge the rule.

I did see Charlie on the second row and was relieved that Bella was not with him. She said she wouldn't come to my wedding if it made me uncomfortable. I told her it was up to her, not wanting to hurt her feelings. Honestly, I didn't want her to come. I knew Leah would give me shit for it, and it just wouldn't have been right to have her here after all this time. It was bad enough Semoline showed up uninvited as it is.

I didn't see my father, which worried me. He went out earlier to check on Melanie and didn't come back.

The khene, a bamboo-like harmonica, began to play a slow melody and everyone stood up and waited for the bride to walk in. I squeezed my fist shut and noticed how sweaty it was. I had never been so damn nervous before in my life. Still, I hid my emotions well. I stared straight ahead at the chapel entrance with my face strong.

And when the beautiful angel walked in, clutching my father's hand, I nearly stumbled and fell.

"My angel," I whispered to myself, unable to take my eyes from my imprint. The wolf was glowing with satisfaction and need. He was slowly beginning to take over. I could feel it, but willed myself to stand as man to finish this mess I started.

I sniffed the air as she grew nearer. _Yes_, it was indeed my mate. My scent on her was fading a fraction. It had been too long since I mated her. My wolf rumbled quietly with agitation that his mate's scent wasn't strong enough for his liking. I held her eyes, and she looked scared-like a little girl. In the corner of my eye, I could make out members of my pack bowing slightly as my imprint passed them. No doubt, their inner animals tuned into their alpha's scent on this woman.

My father held her hand out to me when they reached the steps to the altar. I slowly walked down to take her hand, to take her as mine officially. I nodded a thanks to my father and led Melanie up the steps carefully. Her dress fit her nicely and she looked more than sixteen in it. Turning to face her, I noticed tears pooling in her eyes. I felt her fear and sadness. Onlookers would think that she was crying happy tears, but I knew. My imprint was afraid of me. I felt sorry for her, I really did. I couldn't tell her that, I couldn't show weakness. She didn't deserve this life. Once I told her the truth about what I was and the creatures that existed in this world, she couldn't go back to normal. It was selfish of me really. I was using this innocent woman, against my will. I couldn't live without her, it was too late now. She was mine and it didn't matter how she felt in the long run.

I reached out and wiped away the tear that had escaped down her cheek.

"My angel..." I whispered again, gazing into her eyes.


	6. Chapter 6

**SoulMates**

**Chapter Six**

A few words were spoken in the native tongues from Mr Aterea Sr. I didn't understand what he was saying, but I could tell that it was a beautiful scripture. My face was still tingling from the heat of Jacob's finger wiping my tears away. It was a sweet gesture, really, but I understood it was only a front to be highly regarded by his friends and family.

He didn't fool me. Though, when I first laid my eyes upon him walking into the chapel, he looked very much like the adoring husband that I longed for him to be. The way he watched my every step walking down the short aisle and how he appraised me with his eyes had captivated me. I barely registered that anyone else was in the room. I was overwhelmed with a feeling of calmness that carried me forward. My heart leading me towards my fate.

Only after Jacob had taken my hand and escorted me up the steps to the altar did I come back to my senses. I was frightened by the commitment I would be making to this man who despised me and whom I despised in return.

Looking into his eyes now, I detected a barely visible swirl of white. I wonder if anyone else had noticed Jacob's eye color could change so easily. It was very alluring. I watched, entranced, until the councilman spoke directly to Jacob.

He cleared his throat and turned away from me to acknowledge Mr Aterea.

"Are you prepared to accept this woman as your wife-your lifelong soulmate? To cherish her, guide her, and love her until only death can depart you from her?"

_Oh dear…_

I didn't mean to twiddle my fingers in front of me, obviously letting the on-lookers know that I was nervous. I sucked in a slow breath to relax a little.

It didn't work.

Jacob was hesitant with his response for a brief second, but he played it off so well that I doubt anyone would have noticed. It didn't escape me.

The councilman turned to me. I inhaled another jagged breath of air through my mouth as nerves got the best of me.

"Ms Melanie Guidry, are you ready to accept your role as wife to this man? Are you willing to devote your life to him and trust that he will protect you, comfort you, and provide for you? Are you ready to make a commitment to stand with him through trials and tribulations and fulfill your duties as wife and soulmate until death departs you from him?"

_Soulmate? Maybe wife. But not soulmate. Soulmates were meant to be together. They were destined to meet by God since the day they were born. Soulmates were happy with each other…_

A gentle caress of Jacob's fingers on my hand caused me to look up at him and his eyes held me again. I hadn't realized I was looking down. Something in his eyes told me that he was so vulnerable. I was surprised because Jacob always seemed so strong and only I could see this weakness in him right now. I could see right through him in this very moment and it made me feel so powerful.

I took a deep breath and turned to Mr. Aterea.

"Yes," I said softly. Maybe too softly. I hope he heard my answer.

I turned back to Jacob, but instead of looking up into his eyes, I stared at his suit pocket—which was more level to me anyway.

"Good," Mr. Aterea responded in a proudly continued. "We will now sign the Bond of Marriage certificates to solidify the eternal love of one Jacob Ephraim Black and Melanie Lee Guidry.

_Eternal love? _I swallowed and began my nervous habit again—twiddling my fingers in front of me.

Sue guided us down the altar. Jacob clasped my hand to help me down the steps, which I barely noticed as my heart beat rose in my chest.

I was one minute away from signing my name away to Jacob Black.

At the end of the steps, someone had placed a small table decorated with ivory flowers and candles. A gold binder was opened. Inside of it were two things: a shiny, gold pen and my life.

Jacob went first. He signed his name fluidly and seemed so relaxed. When he was done, he looked back at me and handed me the pen. He gave me a gentle smile and I took the pen from him and slowly bent down to sign my name. I could feel his warm hand touch the small of my back as I bent. It was a reassuring gesture.

"You're going to sign Melanie Lee Black, ok?" Sue offered sweetly. I was grateful she said that because I would have signed 'Melanie Guidry' without realizing it. I'd have to get used to the name change.

After I signed my _new _name on the dotted line everyone in the church, and those standing outside, clapped and shouted their approval.

After the applause died down, Jacob and I exchanged rings—which I rehearsed beforehand thank goodness. It was so quiet in the church when Jacob slid the gold band on my finger. I could feel the familiar burn in my cheek knowing everybody was watching us.

After he was done sliding the ring on, he delicately grabbed both of my hands in his. My hands were sweaty now. I wished I could've dried them off somewhere before he grabbed them. I glanced quickly up at Jacob and he was watching my every reaction with interest. His cheeks had a hint of red in them, but it was probably because it was getting a little hot in this non-air conditioned building.

I looked back at Jacob's suit pocket quickly and waited for whichever was next.

"Ladies and gentlemen," Mr Aterea shouted proudly. "Please welcome Mr. and Mrs. Black."

The crowd applauded. A few of Jacob's friends whooped and hollered above everyone else-which many found hilarious.

However, I was like a stone statue.

"You may kiss your bride."

I turned to look at Jacob quickly, a faint burn lingering on my right cheek—again. Out of every nerve-wrecking moment of today, this was the Holy Grail. Jacob was looking at Quil, Embry, and a few other guys who were making kissy faces and acting like first graders. He had a half smile on his face shaking his head at his friends' mocking. I caught Jacob's eye for a few moments. He bit his lip slowly and looked back at me with curiosity.

My chest felt constricted and I nervously looked down to the floor. Barely a second later, Jacob caught my chin and lifted my head up to him gently. He bent down to my level and I closed my eyes when I felt the first touch of his mouth on mines.

His lips were soft and wet. But they weren't disgusting wet. He was warm and patient against my trembling lips. I think I moaned a little, but I was so wrapped up in my first kiss that I didn't feel ashamed. My hand wanted to gently caress Jacob's cheek while we kissed, but I kept it down. Disappointment overcame me when he pulled away slowly. I was surprised I hadn't wanted it to end.

Our fairly quick and simple kiss received a standing ovation and I was too embarrassed to look up at the crowd as I noticed Jacob do. I felt him take hold of my hand and walk me forward down the steps again. Billy, Rachel, and Rebecca were the first to greet us at the edge of the steps. They all looked like they had been crying which made my tears come as well. We hugged all of our friends and family as we made our way out of the church.

Everyone followed us outside. My eyes popped when I saw an all-white motorcycle parked on the gravel. Jacob laughed out loud and rushed over to have a look. The bike was decorated in flowers and I smiled at how happy Jacob looked gushing over it.

Leah came up behind me and hugged me. She handed me a white helmet and I laughed as I took it from her.

"This is my gift to you guys. It's only good through Thursday then I have to return it, but…" she let her voice drift off and laughed.

"Thanks, Leah," I whispered and hugged her again. I knew this gift was more for Jacob being as I was scared as hell to get on that thing.

I walked over to Jacob who was standing, waiting for me. He had his hands in his pockets at his side and smiled gratefully at Leah. No words were spoken between them.

"See you guys at the reception hall!" Emily yelled to us. Everyone stood outside waiting on Jacob and I to head off first.

I noticed Jacob loosen his tie before jumping on the bike. I looked down at my long dress, unsure of how it all would work out for me.

He noticed my debate.

"Just hike it up. It'll be fine," he told me with humor.

Not wanting to ruin his good mood, I hiked my dress up a little above my knee—receiving a few wolf whistles. I blushed as Jacob took my hand to help me sit behind him. I awkwardly balled my dress up in front of me.

After hooking the helmet in place, I realized Jacob didn't have one.

"You don't have a helmet, Jacob. Maybe Leah has another one," I told him quietly as I held onto him around his torso.

He just smirked. "I don't need one, baby," he told me cockily. "Now hold on tighter."

Jacob revved the engine and before I had time to say anything, he took off down the road, leaving a cloud of dust behind us.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.

I nearly screamed the first five minutes of our ride down the winding road to the center of La Push where our reception would be held. I even had my eyes shut tight and hid my face in Jacob's back. After my fear wore off, I actually really started to enjoy the breeze on my face. Loose strands of hair tickled my nose as Jacob and I rode in silence. I hadn't noticed I was even smiling until Jacob looked at me from the corner of his eye after he had just maneuvered expertly around one exciting curve in particular. He must've decided I was calm enough afterwards because he sped up a little all the way to La Push Main Hall.

It was funny when cars honked at us while passing us on the highway. We must've looked like drunken college kids or something.

Seth, Paul, Charlie Swan and a few other guests were there to greet us. Charlie made a joke that they were kicked out of our wedding early to make sure everything was set up before we showed up. Seth and Paul each gave me a huge hug and swirled me around effortlessly. I felt lightheaded afterwards and looked up at Jacob. He was eyeing a brown-haired girl who was walking up to our little group.

"Congratulations, Jake," the woman said to him, a polite smile playing at her lips.

I thought Jacob was being rude to her as he didn't immediately respond to her. He seemed almost alarmed at the sight of her.

"Thanks," he mumbled and then cleared his throat.

Jacob and the woman stared at each other for a few seconds and I began playing with my fingers again.

"And you're Melanie," I heard the woman say in a friendly voice. I almost thought I had been forgotten—which would have been fine by me, I guess. I'd gotten enough attention in one day than I received my whole life. I looked up at her and she smiled politely. She held her hand out to shake mine.

"Yes, I'm Melanie," I told her and accepted her hand. I smiled back at her as we shook hands. She felt cold.

"I'm Bella Swan. Jake and I used to be best friends back when we were in high school," she informed me. Her eyes looked forlorn as she spoke.

It made me uncomfortable.

I wasn't sure what to really say. So I just decided to play along to the 'happy couple' theme.

"That's really nice of you to come. I'm sure Jacob really appreciates it," I told Bella and looked up at Jacob beside me.

I saw his smirk before anyone else had a chance to notice it.

"Glad you could make it, Bells," he said to her and gave a friendly smile.

"I just made it back in town a few days ago, actually. And I'm glad I made it back in time for this special day."

I smiled at her and watched, ashamed, as Jacob smirked again and loosened his tie a little more.

Looking at Paul, he asked, "Where are the drinks, my friend?"

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.

It took about an hour and a half for the excitement to calm down after everyone arrived at the reception and greeted us as _man and wife_ for the first time. Jacob and I had taken photos together and a few with Billy, Rachel and Rebecca. We also took pictures with our close friends too.

Rebecca thought it would be cute if I took a picture with all of Jacob's close guy friends and Leah without him in the picture. My stomach was rumbling with hunger and I just agreed to anything at this point. In the end, I thought it would turn out to be a nice, fun picture. It took the photographer half an hour to arrange us the way he wanted with me in the center and the guys kneeled around me on one knee—forming a wide 'U' almost. Leah was positioned kneeled right next to me, pretending to fluff out my dress at my feet. It was actually funny and I tried not to laugh, but the guys were all so serious—even Quil.

Jacob stood watching us intently—wine glass in hand. I could tell Jacob's eyes were fighting the change in color. Funny how that didn't bother me. Nothing was as weird as it once was just by the stroke of a pen.

When we were finally done, I trudged off to find food.

"Where are you going, Mrs. Black?" Emily ran up behind me.

"Eat?" I said, confused. She just laughed.

"No, silly. You come sit at the wedding party table. We'll get your food for you!"

We all sat and ate together, Jacob right next to me. The food was perfect and delicious. It seemed as though everyone was having a good time. A few of Jacob's silly friends made funny, yet adorable speeches welcoming me to their family or "pack" as Embry had put it. Billy had sweet words to share as well and I couldn't keep my eyes dry afterwards.

"I've got two beautiful, wonderful daughters already and now I have one more. I'm so happy that Jacob found you, Melanie. Jake, your mother would have been so proud…"

As I wiped my eyes with a tissue, I looked over at Jacob who nodded to his father with thanks and sucked in a long breath. His eyes were a little wet, but I knew he wouldn't let his tears fall down his cheeks.

During the middle of night, I was sitting down watching everyone dancing and enjoying themselves. Jacob had disappeared for awhile, but I eventually spotted him at Charlie and Bella's table. He was sitting next to her, talking seriously about something for awhile. He looked pissed or stressed—maybe both.

I furrowed my brows in concern and turned away when Jacob looked over at me. A few minutes later, I spotted him talking to Rachel. She whispered to him and he rolled his eyes teasingly at her and made a beeline in my direction. My heart sped up. He really was a good-looking man. I just wish his personality matched.

He held his hand out to me and quite rushed asked me if I'd like to dance. I wanted to tell him to go to hell, but I saw Rachel eyeing us and I knew she put him up to it.

Not wanting to let her down, I nodded and took his hand. He led me to the dance floor and just like magic, the fast-paced music changed to something slow and beautiful. The lights dimmed and everyone cleared the floor.

_How embarrassing. _

It wasn't as hard as I expected it to be—slow dancing with someone for the first time. I fell into step pretty easily, even as disproportioned in height as Jacob and I were.

I eyed Jacob's suit pocket so I didn't have to face him.

"Oh come on, Melanie…" he whispered to me with humor. "You really not going to look at your husband as we share our first dance together?"

I looked at him and tried hard not to roll my eyes. Like he really cared about our first dance together.

"What would our guests think?" I asked sarcastically and watched his stunned expression at my mocking remark.

After a few seconds of glaring daggers at Jacob, I turned my face away. I noticed a few couples had come back on the floor, including Sam and Emily, Rachel and Paul, Quil and a cute pre-teen native girl. Her hair was in curls down her back. Quil was dancing as gently as possible with the tiny girl.

I smiled at that and Jacob looked to what had caught my eye.

"His imprint," he told me passively as if answering an unspoken question.

I stared at him, confused at that term.

"Can I cut in?" A whiny voice asked behind Jacob.

I saw how Jacob stilled and quickly hid his annoyed expression.

"Congratulations, Jacob. What a beautiful ceremony," the woman came into view and I was stunned at how perfect she was. She looked like someone you'd see on television. She had the prettiest gray eyes that contrasted well with her honey-toned skin. Her brows were tweezed perfectly and her silky black hair framed either side of her face.

I was almost jealous of her beauty.

"I am Semoline, sweetie. My you are a young one," she observed me with amusement and turned to Jacob.

"What a nice couple you two make," she purred to him.

It sounded like she was flirting with him if I wasn't mistaken.

Something about her voice reminded me of someone. I stared at the woman and back at Jacob.

"Thanks. I'd like to finish my dance with my _wife_, if you don't mind, Semoline," he told her and grabbed me close to him again.

I felt sick.

I shrugged away from him as if I was burned.

"No, you can have him," I whispered sadly to the woman and turned away from them.

I heard her giggling at my back.

I never turned back around either. I kept walking straight until I was out of the door. I sucked in the cool air and exhaled shakily, letting the tears free.

I saw a small playground a few feet away from the reception hall and sat down numbly on a swing. My vision was blurry.

Did I really expect anything else? I wish Jacob and I could have just rode together on the motorcycle until the gas ran out. We both seemed happier then.

Semoline? I knew that voice. She was the one Jacob was seeing. And she was _here_ at our stupid, fake wedding.

She was someone that a guy like Jacob should have ended up marrying. Not me…I was nothing compared to her.

So why me?

I knew I shouldn't stay out long because someone would probably come looking for me soon. No one wanted a lost bride on their hands and I couldn't embarrass the Blacks like that.

I heard grass crackling behind me and someone giggle.

I turned quickly.

"You look silly all dressed up on that swing," the pre-teen girl said, a soda can in her hand.

I hurriedly wiped my eyes and gave her a friendly smile.

"Hi," I said to her.

"Hello," she said happily and sat down on the swing next to mine.

It was quiet for a few minutes as I watched her swing. It was weirdly peaceful.

"What's your name?" I asked her, starting to swing slowly next to her.

"Claire or Claire-Bear as Quil calls me. Uncle Jake calls me 'Clairee's hairy'. Because my hair is so long," she said, pushing herself up higher on the swing.

I smiled at her. "It's nice to meet you Claire."

"You too! You are so pretty in that dress. I hope I look like you when I marry Quil someday."

I giggled. The young girl was serious. I thought it was adorable that she had a crush on Quil at her young age.

"And you look beautiful in your dress as well."

She just shrugged and flipped her long hair over her shoulder.

"So, you are definitely going to marry Quil, huh? You never know…there maybe another guy out there for you later on in life. Just take your time," I told the girl, still giggling.

"I know…but Quil is my best friend. I can't imagine anyone else being my best friend, you know?"

_No, I didn't know. I never had a best friend._

I nodded to Claire. "Yeah…I know the feeling." She wouldn't know I was lying and who was I to doubt her logic?

"Do you want to swing with me? Let's see who can totally swing the highest?"

I laughed at her exuberance and agreed to compete against her.

We both laughed as we swung high. I felt light and free with the cool air rushing past me—like on the bike earlier with Jacob.

I decided to let Claire win because I didn't want her hurting herself by flying too high in the air. We swung for at least ten minutes.

I looked to my right and didn't see Claire flying next me. I looked down and saw Jacob had captured her swing and was tickling the girl to tears.

"Uncle Jake…Jake!" She was laughing so hard, it made me laugh. "St-stop! I-I'm gonna p-p-pee on myself!"

It took me awhile to slow down because I had been swinging too high. I was still in mid-air when Claire had shimmied away from Jacob and ran back to the building, giggling and saying she had to make it to the restroom before she had an accident.

Jacob watched her make it safely back into the building then turned to me as I descended slowly back to the ground.

Before I could make a full stop, he paused my swing by placing both hands on the chains on either side me. He stepped in close to me and stared down at me.

"You left out without telling me where you were going," he muttered, no humor in his voice at all.

I was bewildered by his concern.

"You never cared about me before. Don't pretend to care now," I said to him softly, but angrily and moved forward so that he could get the hint that I wanted him to move.

He didn't get the hint or if he did, he didn't care.

He grabbed my swing and pushed me closer to him, my feet no longer touching the ground. I looked at him threateningly and afraid he would let the swing go and I'd fall back. Suddenly he lifted me effortlessly off the swing in one stroke and planted me gently on the ground—the metal chains clinking wildly behind me.

I smoothed out my dress and pretended that I could breath normally. I didn't even look at Jacob. He didn't exist to me right now.

"So you're feisty tonight, huh?" Jacob asked, humorlessly.

I ignored him and his sarcastic laugh.

"We'll see…" he let his voice trail off and I wondered what he meant by that.

"We need to say our goodbyes. We only have the building for another hour," he whispered, reaching his hand out to take mine.

I stared at his hand and took a deep breath.

"Was that her?" I asked him, voice trembling.

He pulled his outstretched hand away and placed it in his pocket.

I couldn't look at him.

"I don't know what you're talking about, Melanie," he said patiently.

A tear slid down my nose and I watched it fall on my dress.

_Ok, so he would play dumb. _

"Why did you marry me?" I asked him after a few minutes of silence.

"Because there wasn't any other choice for me," he responded in disgust.

I watched him wearily.

"And me? Was there any choice for me?"

He didn't say anything, only shook his head and looked at me with sadness that I couldn't explain.

"I'm sorry, Melanie," he whispered to me in a pained voice and sighed heavily. He placed his hands behind his head for a second, stretching a bit, and muttered a bad word under his breath.

"You'll get your answers, ok? But right now, we need to pretend we're happily in love, say our goodbyes, and get the hell out of here. We're going away for a few days."

My jaw slacked a little at that unexpected news.

"Where to?" I asked, not sure if I was grateful to get out of town for a few days or not.

"Not far. Mazama, Washington. It's a five hour drive from Port Angeles. I rented us a ranch house there."

"A ranch house?" I asked, honestly surprised.

"Yeah," he answered, looking a little disappointed. "Is that not ok for a honeymoon?"

I cringed by that word. _Honeymoon_ just made me way too nervous.

I couldn't believe what I was hearing though. Jacob Black was being insecure. It made me feel bad that I wasn't being appreciative.

"No, it's ok. Just unexpected, that's all," I told him softly.

He didn't say anything, just shifted awkwardly.

"Have you been there before?" I wondered.

"Yes, I've run past it a few times before, but never stayed there. It's nice. There's a barn, horses, walking trails. In the spring and summer, we can even canoe and fish," he explained and shrugged.

"I just figured it would be nice to get you out of town and somewhere new for a few days while we adjust to being married."

What was there to adjust to? It would be the same as it was when we weren't married anyway.

I nodded my head slowly and played with my fingers again.

"Well, it sounds nice. Thank you."

Maybe a few days away wasn't a bad idea for us.

"Well, now that my surprise is ruined…" he began, chuckling a little. "Can we get this over with?"

I took his hand that he offered me and we walked silently back to the reception to end our wedding day.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

"You can go to sleep if you want. I can no doubt get us there before you even wake up," he said to me as I stared out the window. It was night and I was kind of beat from the long day I had. I'd never been greeted or gushed over by so many people before in my life. I was proud of myself for being able to handle the pressure.

The Quileute's were very nice and spiritual people and I had come to respect them. I few girls my age were whispering as I passed by that Jacob shouldn't have married a non-Quileute if he was destined to become the Chief. That hurt my feelings, but I didn't let it get me down.

Now I knew why everyone was so interested in this wedding. Jacob was marrying an outsider. I knew nothing about his tribe's traditions and I had become his wife. The future Chief's wife.

Putting my scary thoughts behind me, I looked over at Jacob. "How long is the drive again?"

"I think it's about five and a half hours by car," he shrugged, not taking his eyes off the road.

"Oh. I thought I remembered you saying you drove by a few times before."

He laughed as if I'd made a joke.

"No. I said I _ran_ by, not _drove _by," he explained without really much explanation. He turned the radio up a little and I looked at him completely confused.

"Ok. So you parked and ran by the place?" I asked and watched as he smirked.

"No, I think I was right the first time," he said dryly, hiding a smile. "I'd probably have us there already if I had let you ride on my back."

I chuckled lightly at the picture he painted in my head. How silly would I look riding on Jacob's back?

"What's funny?" He asked, giving me a crooked smile.

"Nothing…nothing. Just, it's funny thinking about piggyback riding on the interstate all the way to Mazama."

Jacob looked thoughtful for a minute and laughed along with me, shaking his head as if I were nuts.

I wish he could always be this pleasant to be around.

I cleaned an invisible spot on my jeans as Jacob and I rode further away from Port Angeles. I was happy we had gone home first. We needed to change and pack for our four day vacation. Jacob even loaded the white motorcycle onto the bed of the truck. I hoped there was a lot for us to do to keep busy.

Jacob had been right. I fell asleep in the truck and when I opened my eyes, we were parking outside the main lodge which was used for checking in. We had arrived at Mazama Ranch House. I stretched and glanced at the clock. It was almost midnight.

"I'll be right back," Jacob said to me, his voice hoarse from exhaust.

"Ok."

I watched as he made his way in and I couldn't help but to smile at the déjà vu moment.

After the keys were had, Jacob drove us down a narrow pathway to the Mazama Ranch House, a golf cart in front of us leading us in the right direction. It was dark out, but I could see the mountains in the distance and the vastness of the land.

We finally parked and I jumped out of the truck. Bobbie, our tour guide, approached us and helped Jacob with the luggage.

I grabbed the carry-on bag Jacob had thrown in the backseat before we left home.

"Welcome to your home for the next few days Mr. and Mrs. Black," Bobbie said with a warm smile before pushing open the door.

This house was more like a small mansion. It smelled of wood, pine, and nature and the décor was a mix of different styles and textures of wood and cozy colors.

"This is the main area, of course. There is a television here for your convenience as well as a fireplace. Even though it's spring, we all know how Washington gets after a nice hard rain."

Jacob was polite to the man as he continued to show us around. There were five bedrooms, two baths, a full kitchen and dining room, and even a laundry. I wondered how much Jacob was paying to rent the place.

At least we had plenty room to keep distance from each other if need be.

"This is perfect, man. Thanks a lot," Jacob said to the man, giving him a firm handshake before walking him out onto the patio.

"Well," I whispered to myself, not sure what to do.

I looked out the door to see Bobbie pulling off on the cart and Jacob taking the motorcycle out of the truck bed.

I made my way back up the stairs to put our clothes away. The main bedroom was far too big for us. The bed, however, wasn't big enough. It looked comfortable though. I doubted Jacob would even sleep in here with all those other rooms available. I actually would prefer to have my own space anyway.

I was in the middle of unpacking when Jacob came into the bedroom. He stood just inside the door watching me neatly fold a few of his t-shirts.

Feeling insecure under his attentive gaze, I quickly folded the last piece of garment and stumbled over to the drawer to lay the clothes in.

"I think you're going to make a good wife," he said to me easily, making his way over to sit down on the edge of the bed. He appeared spent from the long day we both incurred.

I could only clasp my hands in front of me and stand my ground. He was making me nervous without really doing or saying anything to me.

After a few seconds of silence, he patted the spot next to him and without looking at me said, "Come sit here, Melanie."

It wasn't a question.

I walked slowly over, watching my hands—still clasped in front of me. I sat carefully down next to him, but kept some space between us.

I felt his eyes on me, but I only kept watch of my hands in my lap. I could start to feel the quaking of my legs.

"You're nervous," he whispered to me.

I licked my lips and nodded slowly, my bangs falling over my eye.

"S'not so hard to notice," I whispered back to him and tucked my fallen hair behind my ear.

I still felt the heat of his glare.

"We were destined to be together, Melanie. Just as Sam and Emily, Rachel and Paul…Quil and Claire."

I looked at him then-completely taken aback by his statement.

"Quil and Claire? Claire's a child."

The day I met Sam and Emily, I knew they were soulmates. You could see it in their eyes when they spoke to each other. There was this invisible rope that connected them together. I even asked Leah once if Sam and Emily had grown up together, because they were just so comfortable with one another. I remember longing to feel like them. Leah never gave me a straight answer. She only rolled her eyes and told me "it's probably some kinda voodoo" or something along those lines.

Rachel and Paul gave me the same vibes as Sam and Emily. They were more playful together and argued more than I'd ever seen of Sam and Emily, but the love was always there right in front your face. I knew that no matter what would happen or what horrible thing was said, they would always make-up and end right back in each other's arms at the end of it all.

But Quil and Claire? That didn't make any sense. He was a young man and she was a child. She wouldn't know what love was for another few years. Quil wasn't some psycho either who preyed on young girls.

"It's too early for Claire to realize the bond yet, but she will when she is older. Quil will be responsible and make sure he handles the time appropriately when it comes."

"I'm sorry, Jacob. But what are you _talking_ about? I'm not understanding _anything_…"

I noticed his apprehensiveness and resolve form mere seconds apart on his handsome face.

He looked at me in all seriousness. "I imprinted on you the night I first saw you hidden in that dark corner. I tried to stop it from happening, Melanie. I really did. I didn't _want_ it and still don't want it." His voice raised a notch and I could tell he was stifling back his anger.

I was grateful that Jacob began speaking again because words did not come to me as I took in this knowledge.

"It's not a choice that I had. Imprinting is not prejudiced. It's blind. Doesn't matter how old you are or how you look. It's some type of magical bond that's immediate when you find _her_," he paused, looking as though he was reminiscing about something. "When I found _you_…"

My eyes watered when I saw the familiar specks of white swirling in Jacob's eyes. They were so small that from a distance I wouldn't be able to see it.

"Magic is real," I whispered to him, unable to speak any higher for fear I'd come undone.

He nodded slowly and patiently allowed me to soak in this truth.

I wasn't afraid. I accepted this big piece of information with both hesitant and open arms. Yes, Jacob and I were bonded together when he was obviously unhappy, but magic was _real_. It gave me hope for the first time in my life. I felt special that magic had actually found me. I had been so lost for so long. I was a woman at twelve and carried so much weight on my shoulders. I had to take care of myself under my mom's own roof. I was never loved by anybody and even though Jacob didn't love me—somebody did. God did. I knew there had to be a reason that I was placed here with this man.

"I'm sorry," I told him, wiping my cheeks. "I'm sorry you didn't end up with someone you could love—like Sam and Emily."

I didn't look at him when I said this. I could hear him sighing and then utter something under his breath.

"It's not something you need to apologize for. I imprinted _you_."

"What if we had never met? I was so close to not getting on that bus that night…_so_ close, Jacob. You don't even know…"

"I don't know what would've happened. There is no way to know for sure."

I nodded and turned back to my lap.

Each of us were both deep in our thoughts for awhile until I spoke again.

"Is it only Quileute's that can do imprinting?"

He chuckled for some reason unbeknownst to me.

"Yes, as far as I know. Not all of us can. Only a few of us have the ability to imprint. Even then, it's not something that is guaranteed will happen."

"I see," I murmured and stayed quiet for another few moments.

Finally, Jacob cleared his throat.

"It's getting late," he whispered so low I could barely hear.

"How about a shower and back to bed?" He asked me with narrowed eyes.

"Um, ok. You can go first," I told him, getting up from the bed to gather my nightgown.

Jacob took hold of my arm carefully before I could escape any further. He slowly turned me to stand directly in front of him.

I looked down at him for a split second and quickly lowered my gaze to my hands that were twisted nervously under my bosom.

"Melanie," he said slowly, asking for my attention.

I forced my eyes to fall on his face. We were too close. I needed some space. Couldn't he see that he made me nervous?

"I meant for us to shower together," he told me, eyes fixed directly on mine.

I held my breath for the longest time as I understood completely what he wanted.

When he noticed my fear, he sighed slowly through his mouth—never breaking eye contact.

"You're my _wife_, Melanie. Do you understand that? There are things you will need to get used to doing that you haven't done before."

His tone was composed and I knew he wasn't trying to be pushy, only warning me of a fact that I've been ignoring.

Still, I was scared. We had been intimate already, but it had been so long ago. I knew Jacob a lot better now and knowing he only wanted me because of this imprint bond we shared really didn't make things much better.

My hands were sweaty and shaky. Jacob noticed and grabbed my hands in his.

"You're not ready," he said matter-of-factly. I shook my head to confirm that I wasn't ready at all.

He bit his lip thoughtfully. "That's ok," he murmured gently.

I was grateful that he was being understanding. I never thought he was capable of that skill.

"I'll take my time with you just this once. Maybe we can start with a shower another day and build up to other things. Ok?"

I nodded, my blush unforgiving.

"Melanie," he paused until I gazed at him again. "I can't wait _too_ much longer to mate you again."

It was a settle warning, but I decided it was better than doing anything right at this moment. I needed a little more time to get used to things first.

We showered separately and my _husband_ and I ended up sharing a bed together. I felt myself yearning for him to kiss me again. Not because I was in love with him, but because his lips had felt so perfect against mine. Nothing had ever felt so perfect.

Instead, we had only wished each other a goodnight and I think I even managed to fall asleep before he did.

And that night….I dreamt of magic.


End file.
